Systems and methods for generating multi-user augmented reality content

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for the generation of augmented reality (AR) content that provides a shared AR experience involving multiple users. Shared AR experiences can improve the communication and collaboration between multiple simultaneous users. According to an embodiment, AR content is generated for a first user in a shared AR experience. The AR content includes at least one of a render of a model, a virtual representation of a second user in the shared AR experience, a virtual representation of a user interaction in the shared AR experience, and spatial audio content. Modifications to a shared AR experience are also provided. These modifications may be initiated based on instructions from one user and be reflected in the AR content generated for multiple users.

FIELD

The present application relates to augmented reality (AR), and inparticular embodiments, to the generation of AR content.

BACKGROUND

AR relates to the enhancement of real-world experiences usingcomputer-generated or virtual content. In some cases, AR involvessuperimposing virtual content over physical real-world content. Thissuperposition can be either constructive or destructive. Constructive ARadds content to a real-world experience, whereas destructive AR maskscontent in a real-world experience. AR differs from virtual reality(VR). VR relates to the creation of a completely virtual experience,whereas AR maintains at least a portion of the real-world experience,but alters the perception of that real-world experience using virtualcontent.

SUMMARY

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to the generation of ARcontent that provides a shared AR experience involving multiple users.This AR content can be referred to as “multi-user AR content”. Themultiple users may be separate from each other such that the userscannot physically see or interact with each other. However, despite thephysical separation between the users, AR content for the shared ARexperience can be mapped to the environment of each user. The shared ARexperience allows the multiple users to simultaneously view the samevirtual content, such as the same model of an item, for example.

In some embodiments, the AR content generated for a user in a shared ARexperience includes a virtual representation of another user. Each usermay be able to see how the other user(s) are positioned within theshared AR experience and/or how the other user(s) are viewing virtualcontent within the shared AR experience. This may provide context toimprove communication between the different users, thereby helping tofacilitate cooperation and collaboration within the shared ARexperience.

In some embodiments, the AR content generated for a user in a shared ARexperience includes spatial audio content. Spatial audio content canconvey the directionality of a sound to a user, which can allow the userto appreciate where the sound originated from in the shared ARexperience. For example, the voice of a first user in the shared ARexperience can be recorded and the AR content for a second user caninclude the recording of the voice with a directionality correspondingto the position of the first user in the AR experience. This may providea more intuitive and immersive shared AR experience.

In some embodiments, the AR content generated for a user in a shared ARexperience includes virtual representations of user interactions withinthe AR experience. These virtual representations of user interactionscan convey the interactions of one user to the other user(s) in theshared AR experience. Examples of such interactions include a usergesturing towards a virtual item in the AR experience and even touchingthe virtual item. Displaying virtual interactions in the AR experiencemay help enable non-verbal communication between the different users.

In some embodiments, user modifications to a shared AR experience areenabled to help improve cooperation and collaboration between differentusers. Modifying a shared AR experience can include modifying theviewpoint of at least one user's AR content. In an example, theviewpoint of one user in an AR experience is modified to match theviewpoint of another user in the AR experience, without either userhaving to physically move within their environments. In another example,a virtual item in a shared AR experience is modified for all userssimultaneously.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, acomputer-implemented method is provided. The method may includeobtaining a model of an item defined within a virtual coordinate system.A position of a first user within the virtual coordinate system may bedetermined based on first information obtained by a first device, and aposition of a second user within the virtual coordinate system may bedetermined based on second information obtained by a second device. Themethod may also include obtaining, from the second device, audio of thesecond user. This audio may be an audio recording of the second user,for example. The method may further include generating AR content. TheAR content may include a render of the model based on the position ofthe first user within the virtual coordinate system; a virtualrepresentation of the second user based on the position of the seconduser relative to the position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system; and/or audio content based on the audio of the seconduser, the audio content comprising a directionality corresponding to theposition of the second user relative to the position of the first userwithin the virtual coordinate system. The method may then output the ARcontent for presentation at the first device.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda computer-implemented method including obtaining a position of aninteraction between a first user and virtual content presented at afirst device. The virtual content, which may be AR content, includes afirst render of a model defined within a virtual coordinate system. Theposition of the interaction may also be defined within the virtualcoordinate system. The method may further include generating AR content.The AR content may include a second render of the model based on aposition of a second user within the virtual coordinate system, theposition of the second user being based on information obtained by asecond device; and/or a virtual representation of the interaction basedon the position of the interaction. The method may then includeoutputting the AR content for presentation at the second device.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a computer-implemented method including generating first ARcontent and outputting the first AR content for presentation at a deviceassociated with a first user. The first AR content may include a firstrender of a model anchored within a virtual coordinate system, where thefirst render may be based on a position of the first user within thevirtual coordinate system. The method may also include obtaining aninstruction to reposition the first user to a position of a second userwithin the virtual coordinate system. The method may further includegenerating second AR content, where the second AR content includes asecond render of the model based on the position of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system. The second AR content may beoutput for presentation at the device.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a computer-implemented method including generating first ARcontent that includes a first render of a model defined within a virtualcoordinate system. The first AR content may be output for presentationat a first device. The method may also include modifying the model toproduce a modified model defined within the virtual coordinate system.The step of modifying the model may be based on an instruction obtainedby a second device presenting a second render of the model. The methodmay also include generating second AR content that includes a render ofthe modified model and outputting the second AR content for presentationat the first device.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda system including memory to store information such as models,measurements, positions and instructions, for example, and one or moreprocessors configured to perform any method disclosed herein.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computerexecutable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause thecomputer to perform any method disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be described, by way of example only, with reference tothe accompanying figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an e-commerce platform, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 2 is an example of a home page of an administrator, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates the e-commerce platform of FIG. 1 , but including anAR engine;

FIG. 4 illustrates a user device displaying AR content for a shared ARexperience, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a system for providing multi-userAR content for a shared AR experience, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of generating AR contentfor a shared AR experience, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a virtual coordinate system for a sharedAR experience, including a customer, a merchant and a model of a mixer,at a first instance in time, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates a customer device displaying AR content for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 at the first instance in time;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 at a second instance in time;

FIG. 10 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 at the second instance in time;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of generating AR contentfor a shared AR experience with virtual user interactions, according toan embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a merchant device displaying virtual content for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 during a first example interactionbetween the merchant and the virtual content of FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 14 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 during the first exampleinteraction between the merchant and the virtual content of FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 during a second example interactionbetween the merchant and the virtual content of FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 16 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 during the second exampleinteraction between the merchant and the virtual content of FIG. 12 ;

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for modifying a user'sviewpoint in a shared AR experience, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 18 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying further ARcontent for the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the customer has been repositionedto the position of the merchant in the virtual coordinate system;

FIG. 20 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 when the customer is locked tothe position of the merchant in the virtual coordinate system;

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of modifying a shared ARexperience, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 22 is another perspective view of the virtual coordinate system forthe shared AR experience of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 23 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying further ARcontent for the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the model of the mixer has beenrepositioned;

FIG. 25 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the model of the mixer hasbeen repositioned;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the model of the mixer has beenmanipulated;

FIG. 27 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the model of the mixer hasbeen manipulated;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system for theshared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the model of the mixer has beenreplaced with a model of a blender; and

FIG. 29 illustrates the customer device of FIG. 8 displaying AR contentfor the shared AR experience of FIG. 7 after the model of the mixer hasbeen replaced with the model of the blender.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For illustrative purposes, specific example embodiments will now beexplained in greater detail below in conjunction with the figures.

Example E-Commerce Platform

In some embodiments, the methods disclosed herein may be performed on orin association with a commerce platform, which will be referred toherein as an e-commerce platform. Therefore, an example of an e-commerceplatform will be described.

FIG. 1 illustrates an e-commerce platform 100, according to oneembodiment. The e-commerce platform 100 may be used to provide merchantproducts and services to customers. While the disclosure contemplatesusing the apparatus, system, and process to purchase products andservices, for simplicity the description herein will refer to products.All references to products throughout this disclosure should also beunderstood to be references to products and/or services, includingphysical products, digital content, tickets, subscriptions, services tobe provided, and the like.

While the disclosure throughout contemplates that a ‘merchant’ and a‘customer’ may be more than individuals, for simplicity the descriptionherein may generally refer to merchants and customers as such. Allreferences to merchants and customers throughout this disclosure shouldalso be understood to be references to groups of individuals, companies,corporations, computing entities, and the like, and may representfor-profit or not-for-profit exchange of products. Further, while thedisclosure throughout refers to ‘merchants’ and ‘customers’, anddescribes their roles as such, the e-commerce platform 100 should beunderstood to more generally support users in an e-commerce environment,and all references to merchants and customers throughout this disclosureshould also be understood to be references to users, such as where auser is a merchant-user (e.g., a seller, retailer, wholesaler, orprovider of products), a customer-user (e.g., a buyer, purchase agent,or user of products), a prospective user (e.g., a user browsing and notyet committed to a purchase, a user evaluating the e-commerce platform100 for potential use in marketing and selling products, and the like),a service provider user (e.g., a shipping provider 112, a financialprovider, and the like), a company or corporate user (e.g., a companyrepresentative for purchase, sales, or use of products; an enterpriseuser; a customer relations or customer management agent, and the like),an information technology user, a computing entity user (e.g., acomputing bot for purchase, sales, or use of products), and the like.

The e-commerce platform 100 may provide a centralized system forproviding merchants with online resources and facilities for managingtheir business. The facilities described herein may be deployed in partor in whole through a machine that executes computer software, modules,program codes, and/or instructions on one or more processors which maybe part of or external to the platform 100. Merchants may utilize thee-commerce platform 100 for managing commerce with customers, such as byimplementing an e-commerce experience with customers through an onlinestore 138, through channels 110A-B, through POS devices 152 in physicallocations (e.g., a physical storefront or other location such as througha kiosk, terminal, reader, printer, 3D printer, and the like), bymanaging their business through the e-commerce platform 100, and byinteracting with customers through a communications facility 129 of thee-commerce platform 100, or any combination thereof. A merchant mayutilize the e-commerce platform 100 as a sole commerce presence withcustomers, or in conjunction with other merchant commerce facilities,such as through a physical store (e.g., ‘brick-and-mortar’ retailstores), a merchant off-platform website 104 (e.g., a commerce Internetwebsite or other internet or web property or asset supported by or onbehalf of the merchant separately from the e-commerce platform), and thelike. However, even these ‘other’ merchant commerce facilities may beincorporated into the e-commerce platform, such as where POS devices 152in a physical store of a merchant are linked into the e-commerceplatform 100, where a merchant off-platform website 104 is tied into thee-commerce platform 100, such as through ‘buy buttons’ that link contentfrom the merchant off platform website 104 to the online store 138, andthe like.

The online store 138 may represent a multitenant facility comprising aplurality of virtual storefronts. In embodiments, merchants may manageone or more storefronts in the online store 138, such as through amerchant device 102 (e.g., computer, laptop computer, mobile computingdevice, and the like), and offer products to customers through a numberof different channels 110A-B (e.g., an online store 138; a physicalstorefront through a POS device 152; electronic marketplace, through anelectronic buy button integrated into a website or social media channelsuch as on a social network, social media page, social media messagingsystem; and the like). A merchant may sell across channels 110A-B andthen manage their sales through the e-commerce platform 100, wherechannels 110A may be provided internal to the e-commerce platform 100 orfrom outside the e-commerce channel 110B. A merchant may sell in theirphysical retail store, at pop ups, through wholesale, over the phone,and the like, and then manage their sales through the e-commerceplatform 100. A merchant may employ all or any combination of these,such as maintaining a business through a physical storefront utilizingPOS devices 152, maintaining a virtual storefront through the onlinestore 138, and utilizing a communication facility 129 to leveragecustomer interactions and analytics 132 to improve the probability ofsales. Throughout this disclosure the terms online store 138 andstorefront may be used synonymously to refer to a merchant's onlinee-commerce offering presence through the e-commerce platform 100, wherean online store 138 may refer to the multitenant collection ofstorefronts supported by the e-commerce platform 100 (e.g., for aplurality of merchants) or to an individual merchant's storefront (e.g.,a merchant's online store).

In some embodiments, a customer may interact through a customer device150 (e.g., computer, laptop computer, mobile computing device, and thelike), a POS device 152 (e.g., retail device, a kiosk, an automatedcheckout system, and the like), or any other commerce interface deviceknown in the art. The e-commerce platform 100 may enable merchants toreach customers through the online store 138, through POS devices 152 inphysical locations (e.g., a merchant's storefront or elsewhere), topromote commerce with customers through dialog via electroniccommunication facility 129, and the like, providing a system forreaching customers and facilitating merchant services for the real orvirtual pathways available for reaching and interacting with customers.

In some embodiments, and as described further herein, the e-commerceplatform 100 may be implemented through a processing facility includinga processor and a memory, the processing facility storing a set ofinstructions that, when executed, cause the e-commerce platform 100 toperform the e-commerce and support functions as described herein. Theprocessing facility may be part of a server, client, networkinfrastructure, mobile computing platform, cloud computing platform,stationary computing platform, or other computing platform, and provideelectronic connectivity and communications between and amongst theelectronic components of the e-commerce platform 100, merchant devices102, payment gateways 106, application developers, channels 110A-B,shipping providers 112, customer devices 150, point of sale devices 152,and the like. The e-commerce platform 100 may be implemented as a cloudcomputing service, a software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as aservice (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), desktop as a Service(DaaS), managed software as a service (MSaaS), mobile backend as aservice (MBaaS), information technology management as a service(ITMaaS), and the like, such as in a software and delivery model inwhich software is licensed on a subscription basis and centrally hosted(e.g., accessed by users using a client (for example, a thin client) viaa web browser or other application, accessed through by POS devices, andthe like). In some embodiments, elements of the e-commerce platform 100may be implemented to operate on various platforms and operatingsystems, such as iOS, Android, on the web, and the like (e.g., theadministrator 114 being implemented in multiple instances for a givenonline store for iOS, Android, and for the web, each with similarfunctionality).

In some embodiments, the online store 138 may be served to a customerdevice 150 through a webpage provided by a server of the e-commerceplatform 100. The server may receive a request for the webpage from abrowser or other application installed on the customer device 150, wherethe browser (or other application) connects to the server through an IPAddress, the IP address obtained by translating a domain name. Inreturn, the server sends back the requested webpage. Webpages may bewritten in or include Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), templatelanguage, JavaScript, and the like, or any combination thereof. Forinstance, HTML is a computer language that describes static informationfor the webpage, such as the layout, format, and content of the webpage.Website designers and developers may use the template language to buildwebpages that combine static content, which is the same on multiplepages, and dynamic content, which changes from one page to the next. Atemplate language may make it possible to re-use the static elementsthat define the layout of a webpage, while dynamically populating thepage with data from an online store. The static elements may be writtenin HTML, and the dynamic elements written in the template language. Thetemplate language elements in a file may act as placeholders, such thatthe code in the file is compiled and sent to the customer device 150 andthen the template language is replaced by data from the online store138, such as when a theme is installed. The template and themes mayconsider tags, objects, and filters. The client device web browser (orother application) then renders the page accordingly.

In some embodiments, online stores 138 may be served by the e-commerceplatform 100 to customers, where customers can browse and purchase thevarious products available (e.g., add them to a cart, purchaseimmediately through a buy-button, and the like). Online stores 138 maybe served to customers in a transparent fashion without customersnecessarily being aware that it is being provided through the e-commerceplatform 100 (rather than directly from the merchant). Merchants may usea merchant configurable domain name, a customizable HTML theme, and thelike, to customize their online store 138. Merchants may customize thelook and feel of their website through a theme system, such as wheremerchants can select and change the look and feel of their online store138 by changing their theme while having the same underlying product andbusiness data shown within the online store's product hierarchy. Themesmay be further customized through a theme editor, a design interfacethat enables users to customize their website's design with flexibility.Themes may also be customized using theme-specific settings that changeaspects, such as specific colors, fonts, and pre-built layout schemes.The online store may implement a content management system for websitecontent. Merchants may author blog posts or static pages and publishthem to their online store 138, such as through blogs, articles, and thelike, as well as configure navigation menus. Merchants may upload images(e.g., for products), video, content, data, and the like to thee-commerce platform 100, such as for storage by the system (e.g. as data134). In some embodiments, the e-commerce platform 100 may providefunctions for resizing images, associating an image with a product,adding and associating text with an image, adding an image for a newproduct variant, protecting images, and the like.

As described herein, the e-commerce platform 100 may provide merchantswith transactional facilities for products through a number of differentchannels 110A-B, including the online store 138, over the telephone, aswell as through physical POS devices 152 as described herein. Thee-commerce platform 100 may include business support services 116, anadministrator 114, and the like associated with running an on-linebusiness, such as providing a domain service 118 associated with theironline store, payment services 120 for facilitating transactions with acustomer, shipping services 122 for providing customer shipping optionsfor purchased products, risk and insurance services 124 associated withproduct protection and liability, merchant billing, and the like.Services 116 may be provided via the e-commerce platform 100 or inassociation with external facilities, such as through a payment gateway106 for payment processing, shipping providers 112 for expediting theshipment of products, and the like.

In some embodiments, the e-commerce platform 100 may provide forintegrated shipping services 122 (e.g., through an e-commerce platformshipping facility or through a third-party shipping carrier), such asproviding merchants with real-time updates, tracking, automatic ratecalculation, bulk order preparation, label printing, and the like.

FIG. 2 depicts a non-limiting embodiment for a home page of anadministrator 114, which may show information about daily tasks, astore's recent activity, and the next steps a merchant can take to buildtheir business. In some embodiments, a merchant may log in toadministrator 114 via a merchant device 102 such as from a desktopcomputer or mobile device, and manage aspects of their online store 138,such as viewing the online store's 138 recent activity, updating theonline store's 138 catalog, managing orders, recent visits activity,total orders activity, and the like. In some embodiments, the merchantmay be able to access the different sections of administrator 114 byusing the sidebar, such as shown on FIG. 2 . Sections of theadministrator 114 may include various interfaces for accessing andmanaging core aspects of a merchant's business, including orders,products, customers, available reports and discounts. The administrator114 may also include interfaces for managing sales channels for a storeincluding the online store, mobile application(s) made available tocustomers for accessing the store (Mobile App), POS devices, and/or abuy button. The administrator 114 may also include interfaces formanaging applications (Apps) installed on the merchant's account;settings applied to a merchant's online store 138 and account. Amerchant may use a search bar to find products, pages, or otherinformation. Depending on the device 102 or software application themerchant is using, they may be enabled for different functionalitythrough the administrator 114. For instance, if a merchant logs in tothe administrator 114 from a browser, they may be able to manage allaspects of their online store 138. If the merchant logs in from theirmobile device (e.g. via a mobile application), they may be able to viewall or a subset of the aspects of their online store 138, such asviewing the online store's 138 recent activity, updating the onlinestore's 138 catalog, managing orders, and the like.

More detailed information about commerce and visitors to a merchant'sonline store 138 may be viewed through acquisition reports or metrics,such as displaying a sales summary for the merchant's overall business,specific sales and engagement data for active sales channels, and thelike. Reports may include, acquisition reports, behavior reports,customer reports, finance reports, marketing reports, sales reports,custom reports, and the like. The merchant may be able to view salesdata for different channels 110A-B from different periods of time (e.g.,days, weeks, months, and the like), such as by using drop-down menus. Anoverview dashboard may be provided for a merchant that wants a moredetailed view of the store's sales and engagement data. An activity feedin the home metrics section may be provided to illustrate an overview ofthe activity on the merchant's account. For example, by clicking on a‘view all recent activity’ dashboard button, the merchant may be able tosee a longer feed of recent activity on their account. A home page mayshow notifications about the merchant's online store 138, such as basedon account status, growth, recent customer activity, and the like.Notifications may be provided to assist a merchant with navigatingthrough a process, such as capturing a payment, marking an order asfulfilled, archiving an order that is complete, and the like.

The e-commerce platform 100 may provide for a communications facility129 and associated merchant interface for providing electroniccommunications and marketing, such as utilizing an electronic messagingaggregation facility for collecting and analyzing communicationinteractions between merchants, customers, merchant devices 102,customer devices 150, POS devices 152, and the like, to aggregate andanalyze the communications, such as for increasing the potential forproviding a sale of a product, and the like. For instance, a customermay have a question related to a product, which may produce a dialogbetween the customer and the merchant (or automated processor-basedagent representing the merchant), where the communications facility 129analyzes the interaction and provides analysis to the merchant on how toimprove the probability for a sale.

The e-commerce platform 100 may provide a financial facility 120 forsecure financial transactions with customers, such as through a securecard server environment. The e-commerce platform 100 may store creditcard information, such as in payment card industry data (PCI)environments (e.g., a card server), to reconcile financials, billmerchants, perform automated clearing house (ACH) transfers between ane-commerce platform 100 financial institution account and a merchant'sbank account (e.g., when using capital), and the like. These systems mayhave Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) compliance and a high level of diligencerequired in their development and operation. The financial facility 120may also provide merchants with financial support, such as through thelending of capital (e.g., lending funds, cash advances, and the like)and provision of insurance. In addition, the e-commerce platform 100 mayprovide for a set of marketing and partner services and control therelationship between the e-commerce platform 100 and partners. They alsomay connect and onboard new merchants with the e-commerce platform 100.These services may enable merchant growth by making it easier formerchants to work across the e-commerce platform 100. Through theseservices, merchants may be provided help facilities via the e-commerceplatform 100.

In some embodiments, online store 138 may support a great number ofindependently administered storefronts and process a large volume oftransactional data on a daily basis for a variety of products.Transactional data may include customer contact information, billinginformation, shipping information, information on products purchased,information on services rendered, and any other information associatedwith business through the e-commerce platform 100. In some embodiments,the e-commerce platform 100 may store this data in a data facility 134.The transactional data may be processed to produce analytics 132, whichin turn may be provided to merchants or third-party commerce entities,such as providing consumer trends, marketing and sales insights,recommendations for improving sales, evaluation of customer behaviors,marketing and sales modeling, trends in fraud, and the like, related toonline commerce, and provided through dashboard interfaces, throughreports, and the like. The e-commerce platform 100 may store informationabout business and merchant transactions, and the data facility 134 mayhave many ways of enhancing, contributing, refining, and extractingdata, where over time the collected data may enable improvements toaspects of the e-commerce platform 100.

Referring again to FIG. 1 , in some embodiments the e-commerce platform100 may be configured with a commerce management engine 136 for contentmanagement, task automation and data management to enable support andservices to the plurality of online stores 138 (e.g., related toproducts, inventory, customers, orders, collaboration, suppliers,reports, financials, risk and fraud, and the like), but be extensiblethrough applications 142A-B that enable greater flexibility and customprocesses required for accommodating an ever-growing variety of merchantonline stores, POS devices, products, and services, where applications142A may be provided internal to the e-commerce platform 100 orapplications 142B from outside the e-commerce platform 100. In someembodiments, an application 142A may be provided by the same partyproviding the platform 100 or by a different party. In some embodiments,an application 142B may be provided by the same party providing theplatform 100 or by a different party. The commerce management engine 136may be configured for flexibility and scalability through portioning(e.g., sharding) of functions and data, such as by customer identifier,order identifier, online store identifier, and the like. The commercemanagement engine 136 may accommodate store-specific business logic andin some embodiments, may incorporate the administrator 114 and/or theonline store 138.

The commerce management engine 136 includes base or “core” functions ofthe e-commerce platform 100, and as such, as described herein, not allfunctions supporting online stores 138 may be appropriate for inclusion.For instance, functions for inclusion into the commerce managementengine 136 may need to exceed a core functionality threshold throughwhich it may be determined that the function is core to a commerceexperience (e.g., common to a majority of online store activity, such asacross channels, administrator interfaces, merchant locations,industries, product types, and the like), is re-usable across onlinestores 138 (e.g., functions that can be re-used/modified across corefunctions), limited to the context of a single online store 138 at atime (e.g., implementing an online store ‘isolation principle’, wherecode should not be able to interact with multiple online stores 138 at atime, ensuring that online stores 138 cannot access each other's data),provide a transactional workload, and the like. Maintaining control ofwhat functions are implemented may enable the commerce management engine136 to remain responsive, as many required features are either serveddirectly by the commerce management engine 136 or enabled through aninterface 140A-B, such as by its extension through an applicationprogramming interface (API) connection to applications 142A-B andchannels 110A-B, where interfaces 140A may be provided to applications142A and/or channels 110A inside the e-commerce platform 100 or throughinterfaces 140B provided to applications 142B and/or channels 110Boutside the e-commerce platform 100. Generally, the platform 100 mayinclude interfaces 140A-B (which may be extensions, connectors, APIs,and the like) which facilitate connections to and communications withother platforms, systems, software, data sources, code and the like.Such interfaces 140A-B may be an interface 140A of the commercemanagement engine 136 or an interface 140B of the platform 100 moregenerally. If care is not given to restricting functionality in thecommerce management engine 136, responsiveness could be compromised,such as through infrastructure degradation through slow databases ornon-critical backend failures, through catastrophic infrastructurefailure such as with a data center going offline, through new code beingdeployed that takes longer to execute than expected, and the like. Toprevent or mitigate these situations, the commerce management engine 136may be configured to maintain responsiveness, such as throughconfiguration that utilizes timeouts, queues, back-pressure to preventdegradation, and the like.

Although isolating online store data is important to maintaining dataprivacy between online stores 138 and merchants, there may be reasonsfor collecting and using cross-store data, such as for example, with anorder risk assessment system or a platform payment facility, both ofwhich require information from multiple online stores 138 to performwell. In some embodiments, rather than violating the isolationprinciple, it may be preferred to move these components out of thecommerce management engine 136 and into their own infrastructure withinthe e-commerce platform 100.

In some embodiments, the e-commerce platform 100 may provide for aplatform payment facility 120, which is another example of a componentthat utilizes data from the commerce management engine 136 but may belocated outside so as to not violate the isolation principle. Theplatform payment facility 120 may allow customers interacting withonline stores 138 to have their payment information stored safely by thecommerce management engine 136 such that they only have to enter itonce. When a customer visits a different online store 138, even ifthey've never been there before, the platform payment facility 120 mayrecall their information to enable a more rapid and correct check out.This may provide a cross-platform network effect, where the e-commerceplatform 100 becomes more useful to its merchants as more merchantsjoin, such as because there are more customers who checkout more oftenbecause of the ease of use with respect to customer purchases. Tomaximize the effect of this network, payment information for a givencustomer may be retrievable from an online store's checkout, allowinginformation to be made available globally across online stores 138. Itwould be difficult and error prone for each online store 138 to be ableto connect to any other online store 138 to retrieve the paymentinformation stored there. As a result, the platform payment facility maybe implemented external to the commerce management engine 136.

For those functions that are not included within the commerce managementengine 136, applications 142A-B provide a way to add features to thee-commerce platform 100. Applications 142A-B may be able to access andmodify data on a merchant's online store 138, perform tasks through theadministrator 114, create new flows for a merchant through a userinterface (e.g., that is surfaced through extensions/API), and the like.Merchants may be enabled to discover and install applications 142A-Bthrough application search, recommendations, and support 128. In someembodiments, core products, core extension points, applications, and theadministrator 114 may be developed to work together. For instance,application extension points may be built inside the administrator 114so that core features may be extended by way of applications, which maydeliver functionality to a merchant through the extension.

In some embodiments, applications 142A-B may deliver functionality to amerchant through the interface 140A-B, such as where an application142A-B is able to surface transaction data to a merchant (e.g., App:“Engine, surface my app data in mobile and web admin using the embeddedapp SDK”), and/or where the commerce management engine 136 is able toask the application to perform work on demand (Engine: “App, give me alocal tax calculation for this checkout”).

Applications 142A-B may support online stores 138 and channels 110A-B,provide for merchant support, integrate with other services, and thelike. Where the commerce management engine 136 may provide thefoundation of services to the online store 138, the applications 142A-Bmay provide a way for merchants to satisfy specific and sometimes uniqueneeds. Different merchants will have different needs, and so may benefitfrom different applications 142A-B. Applications 142A-B may be betterdiscovered through the e-commerce platform 100 through development of anapplication taxonomy (categories) that enable applications to be taggedaccording to a type of function it performs for a merchant; throughapplication data services that support searching, ranking, andrecommendation models; through application discovery interfaces such asan application store, home information cards, an application settingspage; and the like.

Applications 142A-B may be connected to the commerce management engine136 through an interface 140A-B, such as utilizing APIs to expose thefunctionality and data available through and within the commercemanagement engine 136 to the functionality of applications (e.g.,through REST, GraphQL, and the like). For instance, the e-commerceplatform 100 may provide API interfaces 140A-B to merchant andpartner-facing products and services, such as including applicationextensions, process flow services, developer-facing resources, and thelike. With customers more frequently using mobile devices for shopping,applications 142A-B related to mobile use may benefit from moreextensive use of APIs to support the related growing commerce traffic.The flexibility offered through use of applications and APIs (e.g., asoffered for application development) enable the e-commerce platform 100to better accommodate new and unique needs of merchants (and internaldevelopers through internal APIs) without requiring constant change tothe commerce management engine 136, thus providing merchants what theyneed when they need it. For instance, shipping services 122 may beintegrated with the commerce management engine 136 through a shipping orcarrier service API, thus enabling the e-commerce platform 100 toprovide shipping service functionality without directly impacting coderunning in the commerce management engine 136.

Many merchant problems may be solved by letting partners improve andextend merchant workflows through application development, such asproblems associated with back-office operations (merchant-facingapplications 142A-B) and in the online store 138 (customer-facingapplications 142A-B). As a part of doing business, many merchants willuse mobile and web related applications on a daily basis for back-officetasks (e.g., merchandising, inventory, discounts, fulfillment, and thelike) and online store tasks (e.g., applications related to their onlineshop, for flash-sales, new product offerings, and the like), whereapplications 142A-B, through extension/API 140A-B, help make productseasy to view and purchase in a fast growing marketplace. In someembodiments, partners, application developers, internal applicationsfacilities, and the like, may be provided with a software developmentkit (SDK), such as through creating a frame within the administrator 114that sandboxes an application interface. In some embodiments, theadministrator 114 may not have control over nor be aware of what happenswithin the frame. The SDK may be used in conjunction with a userinterface kit to produce interfaces that mimic the look and feel of thee-commerce platform 100, such as acting as an extension of the commercemanagement engine 136.

Applications 142A-B that utilize APIs may pull data on demand, but oftenthey also need to have data pushed when updates occur. Update events maybe implemented in a subscription model, such as for example, customercreation, product changes, or order cancelation. Update events mayprovide merchants with needed updates with respect to a changed state ofthe commerce management engine 136, such as for synchronizing a localdatabase, notifying an external integration partner, and the like.Update events may enable this functionality without having to poll thecommerce management engine 136 all the time to check for updates, suchas through an update event subscription. In some embodiments, when achange related to an update event subscription occurs, the commercemanagement engine 136 may post a request, such as to a predefinedcallback URL. The body of this request may contain a new state of theobject and a description of the action or event. Update eventsubscriptions may be created manually, in the administrator facility114, or automatically (e.g., via the API 140A-B). In some embodiments,update events may be queued and processed asynchronously from a statechange that triggered them, which may produce an update eventnotification that is not distributed in real-time.

In some embodiments, the e-commerce platform 100 may provide applicationsearch, recommendation and support 128. Application search,recommendation and support 128 may include developer products and toolsto aid in the development of applications, an application dashboard(e.g., to provide developers with a development interface, toadministrators for management of applications, to merchants forcustomization of applications, and the like), facilities for installingand providing permissions with respect to providing access to anapplication 142A-B (e.g., for public access, such as where criteria mustbe met before being installed, or for private use by a merchant),application searching to make it easy for a merchant to search forapplications 142A-B that satisfy a need for their online store 138,application recommendations to provide merchants with suggestions on howthey can improve the user experience through their online store 138, adescription of core application capabilities within the commercemanagement engine 136, and the like. These support facilities may beutilized by application development performed by any entity, includingthe merchant developing their own application 142A-B, a third-partydeveloper developing an application 142A-B (e.g., contracted by amerchant, developed on their own to offer to the public, contracted foruse in association with the e-commerce platform 100, and the like), oran application 142A or 142B being developed by internal personalresources associated with the e-commerce platform 100. In someembodiments, applications 142A-B may be assigned an applicationidentifier (ID), such as for linking to an application (e.g., through anAPI), searching for an application, making application recommendations,and the like.

The commerce management engine 136 may include base functions of thee-commerce platform 100 and expose these functions through APIs 140A-Bto applications 142A-B. The APIs 140A-B may enable different types ofapplications built through application development. Applications 142A-Bmay be capable of satisfying a great variety of needs for merchants butmay be grouped roughly into three categories: customer-facingapplications, merchant-facing applications, integration applications,and the like. Customer-facing applications 142A-B may include onlinestore 138 or channels 110A-B that are places where merchants can listproducts and have them purchased (e.g., the online store, applicationsfor flash sales (e.g., merchant products or from opportunistic salesopportunities from third-party sources), a mobile store application, asocial media channel, an application for providing wholesale purchasing,and the like). Merchant-facing applications 142A-B may includeapplications that allow the merchant to administer their online store138 (e.g., through applications related to the web or website or tomobile devices), run their business (e.g., through applications relatedto POS devices), to grow their business (e.g., through applicationsrelated to shipping (e.g., drop shipping), use of automated agents, useof process flow development and improvements), and the like. Integrationapplications may include applications that provide useful integrationsthat participate in the running of a business, such as shippingproviders 112 and payment gateways.

In some embodiments, an application developer may use an applicationproxy to fetch data from an outside location and display it on the pageof an online store 138. Content on these proxy pages may be dynamic,capable of being updated, and the like. Application proxies may beuseful for displaying image galleries, statistics, custom forms, andother kinds of dynamic content. The core-application structure of thee-commerce platform 100 may allow for an increasing number of merchantexperiences to be built in applications 142A-B so that the commercemanagement engine 136 can remain focused on the more commonly utilizedbusiness logic of commerce.

The e-commerce platform 100 provides an online shopping experiencethrough a curated system architecture that enables merchants to connectwith customers in a flexible and transparent manner. A typical customerexperience may be better understood through an embodiment examplepurchase workflow, where the customer browses the merchant's products ona channel 110A-B, adds what they intend to buy to their cart, proceedsto checkout, and pays for the content of their cart resulting in thecreation of an order for the merchant. The merchant may then review andfulfill (or cancel) the order. The product is then delivered to thecustomer. If the customer is not satisfied, they might return theproducts to the merchant.

In an example embodiment, a customer may browse a merchant's products ona channel 110A-B. A channel 110A-B is a place where customers can viewand buy products. In some embodiments, channels 110A-B may be modeled asapplications 142A-B (a possible exception being the online store 138,which is integrated within the commence management engine 136). Amerchandising component may allow merchants to describe what they wantto sell and where they sell it. The association between a product and achannel may be modeled as a product publication and accessed by channelapplications, such as via a product listing API. A product may have manyoptions, like size and color, and many variants that expand theavailable options into specific combinations of all the options, likethe variant that is extra-small and green, or the variant that is sizelarge and blue. Products may have at least one variant (e.g., a “defaultvariant” is created for a product without any options). To facilitatebrowsing and management, products may be grouped into collections,provided product identifiers (e.g., stock keeping unit (SKU)) and thelike. Collections of products may be built by either manuallycategorizing products into one (e.g., a custom collection), by buildingrulesets for automatic classification (e.g., a smart collection), andthe like. Products may be viewed as 2D images, 3D images, rotating viewimages, through a virtual or augmented reality interface, and the like.

In some embodiments, the customer may add what they intend to buy totheir cart (in an alternate embodiment, a product may be purchaseddirectly, such as through a buy button as described herein). Customersmay add product variants to their shopping cart. The shopping cart modelmay be channel specific. The online store 138 cart may be composed ofmultiple cart line items, where each cart line item tracks the quantityfor a product variant. Merchants may use cart scripts to offer specialpromotions to customers based on the content of their cart. Since addinga product to a cart does not imply any commitment from the customer orthe merchant, and the expected lifespan of a cart may be in the order ofminutes (not days), carts may be persisted to an ephemeral data store.

The customer then proceeds to checkout. A checkout component mayimplement a web checkout as a customer-facing order creation process. Acheckout API may be provided as a computer-facing order creation processused by some channel applications to create orders on behalf ofcustomers (e.g., for point of sale). Checkouts may be created from acart and record a customer's information such as email address, billing,and shipping details. On checkout, the merchant commits to pricing. Ifthe customer inputs their contact information but does not proceed topayment, the e-commerce platform 100 may provide an opportunity tore-engage the customer (e.g., in an abandoned checkout feature). Forthose reasons, checkouts can have much longer lifespans than carts(hours or even days) and are therefore persisted. Checkouts maycalculate taxes and shipping costs based on the customer's shippingaddress. Checkout may delegate the calculation of taxes to a taxcomponent and the calculation of shipping costs to a delivery component.A pricing component may enable merchants to create discount codes (e.g.,‘secret’ strings that when entered on the checkout apply new prices tothe items in the checkout). Discounts may be used by merchants toattract customers and assess the performance of marketing campaigns.Discounts and other custom price systems may be implemented on top ofthe same platform piece, such as through price rules (e.g., a set ofprerequisites that when met imply a set of entitlements). For instance,prerequisites may be items such as “the order subtotal is greater than$100” or “the shipping cost is under $10”, and entitlements may be itemssuch as “a 20% discount on the whole order” or “$10 off products X, Y,and Z”.

Customers then pay for the content of their cart resulting in thecreation of an order for the merchant. Channels 110A-B may use thecommerce management engine 136 to move money, currency or a store ofvalue (such as dollars or a cryptocurrency) to and from customers andmerchants. Communication with the various payment providers (e.g.,online payment systems, mobile payment systems, digital wallet, creditcard gateways, and the like) may be implemented within a paymentprocessing component. The actual interactions with the payment gateways106 may be provided through a card server environment. In someembodiments, the payment gateway 106 may accept international payment,such as integrating with leading international credit card processors.The card server environment may include a card server application, cardsink, hosted fields, and the like. This environment may act as thesecure gatekeeper of the sensitive credit card information. In someembodiments, most of the process may be orchestrated by a paymentprocessing job. The commerce management engine 136 may support manyother payment methods, such as through an offsite payment gateway 106(e.g., where the customer is redirected to another website), manually(e.g., cash), online payment methods (e.g., online payment systems,mobile payment systems, digital wallet, credit card gateways, and thelike), gift cards, and the like. At the end of the checkout process, anorder is created. An order is a contract of sale between the merchantand the customer where the merchant agrees to provide the goods andservices listed on the orders (e.g., order line items, shipping lineitems, and the like) and the customer agrees to provide payment(including taxes). This process may be modeled in a sales component.Channels 110A-B that do not rely on commerce management engine 136checkouts may use an order API to create orders. Once an order iscreated, an order confirmation notification may be sent to the customerand an order placed notification sent to the merchant via a notificationcomponent. Inventory may be reserved when a payment processing jobstarts to avoid over-selling (e.g., merchants may control this behaviorfrom the inventory policy of each variant). Inventory reservation mayhave a short time span (minutes) and may need to be very fast andscalable to support flash sales (e.g., a discount or promotion offeredfor a short time, such as targeting impulse buying). The reservation isreleased if the payment fails. When the payment succeeds, and an orderis created, the reservation is converted into a long-term inventorycommitment allocated to a specific location. An inventory component mayrecord where variants are stocked, and tracks quantities for variantsthat have inventory tracking enabled. It may decouple product variants(a customer facing concept representing the template of a productlisting) from inventory items (a merchant facing concept that representan item whose quantity and location is managed). An inventory levelcomponent may keep track of quantities that are available for sale,committed to an order or incoming from an inventory transfer component(e.g., from a vendor).

The merchant may then review and fulfill (or cancel) the order. A reviewcomponent may implement a business process merchant's use to ensureorders are suitable for fulfillment before actually fulfilling them.Orders may be fraudulent, require verification (e.g., ID checking), havea payment method which requires the merchant to wait to make sure theywill receive their funds, and the like. Risks and recommendations may bepersisted in an order risk model. Order risks may be generated from afraud detection tool, submitted by a third-party through an order riskAPI, and the like. Before proceeding to fulfillment, the merchant mayneed to capture the payment information (e.g., credit card information)or wait to receive it (e.g., via a bank transfer, check, and the like)and mark the order as paid. The merchant may now prepare the productsfor delivery. In some embodiments, this business process may beimplemented by a fulfillment component. The fulfillment component maygroup the line items of the order into a logical fulfillment unit ofwork based on an inventory location and fulfillment service. Themerchant may review, adjust the unit of work, and trigger the relevantfulfillment services, such as through a manual fulfillment service(e.g., at merchant managed locations) used when the merchant picks andpacks the products in a box, purchase a shipping label and input itstracking number, or just mark the item as fulfilled. A customfulfillment service may send an email (e.g., a location that doesn'tprovide an API connection). An API fulfillment service may trigger athird party, where the third-party application creates a fulfillmentrecord. A legacy fulfillment service may trigger a custom API call fromthe commerce management engine 136 to a third party (e.g., fulfillmentby Amazon). A gift card fulfillment service may provision (e.g.,generating a number) and activate a gift card. Merchants may use anorder printer application to print packing slips. The fulfillmentprocess may be executed when the items are packed in the box and readyfor shipping, shipped, tracked, delivered, verified as received by thecustomer, and the like.

If the customer is not satisfied, they may be able to return theproduct(s) to the merchant. The business process merchants may gothrough to “un-sell” an item may be implemented by a return component.Returns may consist of a variety of different actions, such as arestock, where the product that was sold actually comes back into thebusiness and is sellable again; a refund, where the money that wascollected from the customer is partially or fully returned; anaccounting adjustment noting how much money was refunded (e.g.,including if there was any restocking fees, or goods that weren'treturned and remain in the customer's hands); and the like. A return mayrepresent a change to the contract of sale (e.g., the order), and wherethe e-commerce platform 100 may make the merchant aware of complianceissues with respect to legal obligations (e.g., with respect to taxes).In some embodiments, the e-commerce platform 100 may enable merchants tokeep track of changes to the contract of sales over time, such asimplemented through a sales model component (e.g., an append-onlydate-based ledger that records sale-related events that happened to anitem).

Implementation of Augmented Reality in an E-Commerce Platform

Augmented reality (AR) may be used in commerce to provide improvedcustomer experiences. The e-commerce platform 100 may implement AR forany of a variety of different applications, examples of which aredescribed elsewhere herein. FIG. 3 illustrates the e-commerce platform100 of FIG. 1 , but including an AR engine 300. The AR engine 300 is anexample of a computer-implemented system that generates AR content foruse by the e-commerce platform 100, the customer device 150 and/or themerchant device 102.

Although the AR engine 300 is illustrated as a distinct component of thee-commerce platform 100 in FIG. 3 , this is only an example. An ARengine could also or instead be provided by another component residingwithin or external to the e-commerce platform 100. In some embodiments,either or both of the applications 142A-B provide an AR engine that isavailable to customers and/or to merchants. Furthermore, in someembodiments, the commerce management engine 136 provides an AR engine.The e-commerce platform 100 may include multiple AR engines that areprovided by one or more parties. The multiple AR engines may beimplemented in the same way, in similar ways and/or in distinct ways. Inaddition, at least a portion of an AR engine may be implemented in themerchant device 102 and/or in the customer device 150. For example, thecustomer device 150 may store and run an AR engine locally as a softwareapplication.

The AR engine 300 may implement at least some of the functionalitydescribed herein. Although the embodiments described below may beimplemented in association with an e-commerce platform, such as (but notlimited to) the e-commerce platform 100, the embodiments described beloware not limited to the specific e-commerce platform 100 of FIGS. 1 to 3. Further, the embodiments described herein do not necessarily need tobe implemented in association with or involve an e-commerce platform atall. In general, any applications of AR could implement the systems andmethods disclosed herein.

Applications of AR in Commerce

AR can supplement a user's real-world environment with virtual contentto alter the user's perception of the real-world environment. Through aprocess known as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), arepresentation of a user's real-world environment and a position of theuser within that real-world environment can be continuously orintermittently determined by an AR engine. It should be noted that, asused herein, a position can include both an orientation and a location.An AR experience for the user can then be generated by mapping one ormore virtual models to the representation of the real-world environment.AR content for the user may include renders of the virtual models thatare overlaid onto the real-world environment. The renders are generatedto reflect the relative position of the user in the real-worldenvironment and the mapping of the virtual models to the real-worldenvironment. In this way, the AR content may provide near-seamlessintegration of the virtual models with the real-world space for theuser.

AR can allow a customer to view and interact with a virtual product whenthe customer is not able to interact with a physical product. Forexample, AR can superimpose a virtual representation of a product onto areal-world environment that is captured in an image, which can make theproduct appear to be present in the real-world environment. The imagecould be of the customer's home or another location that is relevant tothe customer, allowing the customer to view the product in anenvironment that is of interest to them. In some implementations,furniture retailers may use AR to enable customers to view virtualfurniture within their homes. For example, a virtual representation of atelevision can be superimposed on a video stream of a customer's livingroom using AR, allowing the size and look of the television in theliving room to be appreciated.

Conventionally, AR experiences have been limited to a single user and/orto a single user device. Consider the example in which a virtualrepresentation of a television is superimposed on a video stream of acustomer's living room. Here, the AR experience is limited to thecustomer that is capturing the video of the living room. This can limitthe functionality of the AR experience in some cases. For example, thecustomer might want to ask a remote merchant (i.e., a merchant that isnot in the same location as the customer) a specific question about thetelevision. Even if the customer is able to speak or otherwisecommunicate with the merchant while viewing the virtual representationof the television, the customer might still have trouble articulatingtheir questions to the merchant. The merchant cannot see the ARexperience that the customer is viewing. Therefore, the merchant doesnot know what part of the television the customer is referencing and haslimited context for the questions being asked by the customer. Forexample, the customer might have a question about a specific componentof the television but may struggle to explain to the merchant whichcomponent of the television they are referring to. Similar commentsapply to the merchant, who may also be viewing the television (either inthe real-world or virtually) but may struggle to articulate theirresponses to the customer if the customer does not know what componentof the television the merchant is referencing.

The limitations of single-user AR experiences extend beyond interactionsbetween customers and merchants. Referring again to the example in whicha customer is viewing a virtual representation of a televisionsuperimposed over a video stream of their living room, this living roommight be shared with another individual. The customer and the otherindividual could be in two different locations but may want tocollaborate when viewing the television. Even if the customer and theother individual are both viewing the television in respective ARexperiences and are able to speak with one another, the customer and theother individual might still have difficulty determining what componentor aspect of the television the other is viewing. This can hindercommunication and collaboration between the customer and the otherindividual.

Further, challenges can exist even if the customer and the otherindividual are both viewing the television in respective AR experiencesfrom the same location. In some cases, the customer and the otherindividual may want to collaboratively shop together for the televisionwhile both are located in the same room (e.g., a shared living room). Itis difficult to share AR content generated for one user with anotheruser, because AR content is typically generated for one user viewpoint.The viewpoint of a mobile device, set of glasses, or headset isdifficult to share with another device even if the other device is inthe same room.

Extending an AR experience to multiple users could enable collaborationwithin the AR experience and improve the overall functionality of the ARexperience. However, there are technical challenges to providing ARexperiences that can accommodate multiple users simultaneously. Forexample, when two or more users are accessing an AR experience fromdifferent sites, localization and mapping of each user in the ARexperience in a manner that enables effective communication can bedifficult.

It should be noted that while some embodiments are described in thecontext of commerce applications, the present disclosure is in no waylimited to commerce. The systems and methods disclosed herein can alsobe implemented in other applications of AR.

Multi-User AR

The present disclosure relates, in part, to systems and methods forgenerating multi-user AR content. Multi-user AR content can provide ashared AR experience for multiple users that are in different physicalpositions. Despite the physical separation between the users, AR contentrelating to the shared AR experience can be generated for each user. Theshared AR experience may implement a single virtual coordinate systemthat includes virtual content such as virtual items, for example. Afterdefining the virtual coordinate system, SLAM processes (for example) canmap each user to the virtual coordinate system to generate AR contentfor the users. Accordingly, in this way, each user may experience thesame virtual content through a unique perspective of the shared ARexperience.

In some embodiments, the AR content generated for each user in a sharedAR experience can include virtual representations of the other users.This may improve the communication between the different users, therebyhelping to facilitate cooperation and collaboration within the shared ARexperience. For example, the virtual representations of users may allowthe multiple users to appreciate each other's view of virtual items inthe AR experience, providing context for communication between theusers. Each user may be able to view the virtual item in the shared ARexperience and see how other users are viewing the virtual item. Incommerce applications, this may allow multiple users to view a productand see how other users are viewing the product, for example.

Multi-user AR content for a user in a shared AR experience can furtherinclude audio content. This audio content may be obtained from otherusers in the shared AR experience and include audio recordings of theother users speaking, for example. In some implementations, the audiocontent includes a directionality corresponding to the position of theuser or object that the audio content relates to in the shared ARexperience. Directional audio can help a user better determine therelative positions of other users or objects in the shared ARexperience. In one example, if a first user is not in view of a seconduser in the AR experience, directional audio can still provide thesecond user with an indication of the position of the first user in theAR experience. In another example, if a user can see virtualrepresentations of multiple other users at different positions in theshared AR experience and one of the other users is speaking, directionalaudio can help the user determine which of the other users is speaking.

In some embodiments, multi-user AR content depicts virtual userinteractions. In other words, the virtual interactions of one userwithin a shared AR experience are conveyed to the other user(s) in theAR experience. Examples of such interactions include a user gesturingtowards a virtual item in the AR experience and even touching thevirtual item. Displaying virtual interactions in the AR experience canhelp enable non-verbal communication between the different users.

FIG. 4 illustrates a user device 400 displaying AR content 402 for ashared AR experience, according to an embodiment. A first user in theshared AR experience is operating the user device 400 and is viewing theAR content 402. The user device 400 may, as shown, also display anindication 410 that a second user is present in the shared ARexperience. The second user can be accessing the shared AR experiencethrough a different user device and can be in a different physicallocation than the first user. The user device 400 may, as shown, furtherdisplay an option 412 to exit the shared AR experience, an option 414 tomute the microphone of the user device 400 so that the second usercannot hear the first user, and an option 416 to access otherfunctionality.

The AR content 402 includes a virtual representation 404 of a stand-upkitchen mixer, a virtual representation 406 of the second user, and avirtual representation 408 of an interaction between the second user andthe mixer. The virtual representation 406 of the second user is in theform of a hand holding a mobile phone and the virtual representation 408of the interaction is in the form of a hand pointing towards the mixer,but these are only examples.

The virtual representations 404, 406, 408 are examples of visualcontent; however, the AR content 402 may further include haptic and/oraudio content. For example, the AR content 402 could include a recordingof the second user's voice so that the first user and second user canspeak to one another.

The AR content 402 is overlaid on an image of the first user's kitchen,such that the virtual representation 404 shows the mixer realisticallysitting on a counter of the kitchen. In some implementations, the ARcontent 402 is generated at least in part using a SLAM process. Thevirtual representation 404 of the mixer may be a render of athree-dimensional (3D) model of the mixer that is defined within avirtual coordinate system of the shared AR experience. The virtualcoordinate system is mapped to a representation of the first user'skitchen such that the model of the mixer is positioned on the counter ofthe kitchen. This representation of the first user's kitchen may havebeen obtained using a camera or other sensor on the user device 400, forexample. After the virtual coordinate system is mapped to therepresentation of the first user's kitchen, the position of the firstuser within the kitchen can be determined and mapped to the virtualcoordinate system. The render of the model can then be generated basedon the relative position of the first user and mixer in the virtualcoordinate system.

Using the AR content 402, the first user is able to simultaneously viewthe mixer through the virtual representation 404, determine how thesecond user is viewing the mixer based on the virtual representation406, and determine how the second user is interacting with the mixerthrough the virtual representation 408. In this way, the virtualrepresentations 404, 406, 408 may improve communication andcollaboration between the first user and the second user in the sharedAR experience.

AR content can also be generated for the second user in the shared ARexperience. This AR content may include a virtual representation of themixer, a virtual representation of the first user, and/or a virtualrepresentation of the interaction between the second user and the mixer.The AR content for the second user can be overlaid on a representationof a real-world environment surrounding the second user.

In some embodiments, a shared AR experience provides a combination of ARcontent and other virtual content. For example, in the shared ARexperience of FIG. 4 , the second user might not be provided with ARcontent. The second user might instead be provided with VR contentincluding a render of the model of the mixer overlaid on a virtualenvironment. Alternatively, the second user may simply be viewing the 3Dmodel of the mixer on a device with capabilities to manipulate (forexample, rotate and zoom in on) the model.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in greaterdetail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 29 .

Generating Multi-User AR Content

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example system 500 forproviding multi-user AR content for a shared AR experience. The system500 includes an AR engine 502, a network 520, and multiple user devices530 a, 530 b.

The network 520 may be a computer network implementing wired and/orwireless connections between different devices, including the AR engine502 and the user devices 530 a, 530 b. The network 520 may implement anycommunication protocol known in the art. Non-limiting examples ofcommunication protocols include a local area network (LAN), a wirelessLAN, an internet protocol (IP) network, and a cellular network.

The AR engine 502 supports the generation of AR content includingmulti-user AR content. As illustrated, the AR engine 502 includes aprocessor 504, memory 506 and a network interface 508. The processor 504may be implemented by one or more processors that execute instructionsstored in the memory 506 or in another non-transitory computer readablemedium. Alternatively, some or all of the processor 504 may beimplemented using dedicated circuitry, such as an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or aprogrammed field programmable gate array (FPGA).

The network interface 508 is provided for communication over the network520. The structure of the network interface 508 is implementationspecific. For example, the network interface 508 may include a networkinterface card (NIC), a computer port (e.g., a physical outlet to whicha plug or cable connects), and/or a network socket.

The memory 506 stores a virtual model record 510, a user space record512, an image analyzer 514, and a virtual content generator 516.

The virtual model record 510 stores virtual models of items, buildings,locations, scenery, people, anatomical features, animals and/or anyother types of objects. These virtual models can be implemented in an ARexperience. By way of example, one or more users may build an ARexperience by searching for and selecting virtual models stored in thevirtual model record 510. The virtual models can then be implementedwithin the AR experience for the one or more users, allowing the usersto view and optionally interact with the virtual models. The model ofthe stand-up kitchen mixer in the AR experience of FIG. 4 is an exampleof a virtual model that could be stored in the virtual model record 510.

Any, one, some or all of the virtual models stored in the virtual modelrecord 510 may be three-dimensional (3D) models. A 3D model is amathematical representation of an entity that is defined with a length,width and height. A 3D model can be positioned or otherwise definedwithin a 3D virtual coordinate system, which could be a cartesiancoordinate system, a cylindrical coordinate system or a polar coordinatesystem, for example. A 3D model might be anchored to the origin of thevirtual coordinate system such that the 3D model is at the center of thevirtual coordinate system. A 3D model may be entirely computer-generatedor may be generated based on measurements of a real-world entity.Possible methods for generating 3D models from a real-world entityinclude photogrammetry (creating a 3D model from a series of 2D images),and 3D scanning (moving a scanner around the object to capture allangles).

A 3D model allows an object to be viewed at various different angles inan AR experience. Further, when a user is viewing AR content using adevice with 3D capabilities (such as a headset, for example), the 3Dmodel allows for 3D representations of the object to be generated andincluded in the AR content. For example, 3D representations of an objectmight be achieved by displaying slightly different perspectives of theobject in each eye of a user, giving the object a 3D effect.

A model stored in the virtual model record 510 can also have associatedaudio content and/or haptic content. For example, the virtual modelrecord 510 could store sounds made by or otherwise associated with amodel and/or haptic feedback that can provide a feel of a model.

The virtual models in the virtual model record 510 could be obtained inany of a number of different ways. In some implementations, at leastsome of the virtual models are obtained from a user of the AR engine502, such as from a customer or a merchant, for example. A merchantcould generate virtual models for any, one, some or all of the productssold in their stores. These virtual models may be provided directly tothe AR engine 502 by the merchant, or the AR engine 502 may obtain thevirtual models from a merchant's account on an e-commerce platformand/or from the merchant's online store. Virtual models may also beobtained from other platforms such as social media platforms, forexample. In addition, some virtual models may be generated locally atthe AR engine 502. For example, images or scans that are obtained by theAR engine 502 can be used to generate a 3D model.

The user space record 512 stores representations of real-world and/orvirtual spaces. A representation of a real-world space can define areal-world environment that may be overlaid with virtual content toprovide AR content, and a representation of a virtual space can define acomputer-generated environment that may be overlaid with virtual contentto provide VR content. A representation of a space could beuser-specific. For example, a representation of a space could beobtained from and/or generated specifically for a particular user.However, this might not always be the case. A representation of a spacecould instead be generic or non-personal.

A representation of a space generally provides spatial informationpertaining to the features of the space, including the boundaries of thespace (for example, the walls of a room) and the objects within thespace (for example, the structures and people in a room). The spatialinformation can identify any, some or all of the features in the space,and provide the position (including the location and orientation) andthe dimensions of the features in the space. Non-limiting examples ofsuch features include the surfaces, edges and corners in the space. Inother words, the representation of the space may provide a topographicalmap, layout, or model of the space in 3D.

In some cases, a representation of a real-world space corresponds to areal-world room, building, area or other physical environment. Forexample, a representation of a real-world space can include, or begenerated from, measurements captured by a user device. Thesemeasurements may include one or more optical images, radar scans, lidarscans and/or sonar scans of the space, for example. The representationof the real-world space can be continuously or intermittently updated asnew measurements are received. In some implementations, a representationof a real-world space can be generated by a SLAM process.

As noted above, a representation of a space stored in the user spacerecord 512 can be computer-generated. An example of a computer-generatedrepresentation of a space is a computer-generated 3D model defining theboundaries of a virtual space and any objects within the virtual space.

The image analyzer 514 is provided to analyse images received and/orstored by the AR engine 502. In some implementations, the image analyzer514 is used to generate a representation of a real-world space based onone or more images of the real-world space. Image analysis can detectthe features of the real-world space, including the surfaces, edgesand/or corners of the real-world space. Image analysis can alsodetermine the dimensions and relative positions of these features of thereal-world space in 3D. The representation of the real-world space canthen be generated based on the size, shape and position of the features,and optionally be stored in the user space record 512.

In further implementations, the image analyzer 514 is used to generatevirtual models of objects through photogrammetry, for example. Thesevirtual models can be stored in the virtual model record 510.

More than one image could be input into the image analyzer 514 at atime. For example, multiple images of a real-world space taken fromdifferent positions could allow for the determination of a broader andmore accurate representation of the real-world space. The multipleimages could be obtained from a video stream or from multiple differentcameras, for example. In cases where the image analyzer 514 receives avideo stream for a real-world space, the image analyzer 514 couldperform an initial feature detection operation to locate the features ofthe real-world space. These features could then be tracked in subsequentimages received from the video stream in real-time. New features thatare detected in the subsequent images could be added to therepresentation of the real-world space to expand the representation ofthe real-world space.

The image analyzer 514 may be implemented in the form of softwareinstructions that are executable by the processor 504. Any of a numberof different algorithms could be included in the image analyzer 514.Non-limiting examples of such algorithms include:

-   -   Surface, corner and/or edge detection algorithms;    -   Object recognition algorithms;    -   Motion detection algorithms; and    -   Image segmentation algorithms.

Further details regarding image analysis algorithms can be found inComputer Vision: Algorithms and Applications by Richard Szeliski, ISBN:978-1-84882-935-0 (Springer, 2010), the contents of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety.

The virtual content generator 516 employs and/or implements one or morealgorithms (possibly in the form of software instructions executable bythe processor 504) that are capable of generating virtual content forone or more users. This virtual content could form the basis of ARcontent that is generated for a user in a shared AR experience.Non-limiting examples of virtual content include:

-   -   virtual representations of one or more objects, such as the        virtual representation 404 of the stand-up kitchen mixer in FIG.        4 ;    -   virtual representations of one or more users, such as the        virtual representation 406 of the second user in FIG. 4 ; and    -   virtual representations of one or more user interactions, such        as the virtual representation 408 of the interaction between the        second user and the mixer in FIG. 4 .

To generate virtual content for a particular user, possible inputs tothe virtual content generator 516 include:

-   -   One or more virtual models defined within a virtual coordinate        system. The virtual models may be obtained from the virtual        model record 510, for example.    -   A representation of a real-world or virtual space associated        with a user. The representation of the space may be obtained        from the user space record 512, for example.    -   An anchor point for the virtual coordinate system within the        representation of the space to map the virtual coordinate system        to the space. The anchor point may be received from a user        device, for example.    -   A location of the user within the virtual coordinate system,        determined by an AR engine, for example.    -   A location of one or more other users within the virtual        coordinate system, determined by an AR engine, for example.    -   A location of one or more user interactions within the virtual        coordinate system, determined by an AR engine, for example.

The virtual content output by the virtual content generator 516 caninclude visual, haptic and/or audio content. Visual content can allow auser to view virtual objects within an AR experience, haptic content canallow a user to touch and feel virtual objects within the AR experience,and audio content can allow a user to hear sounds within the ARexperience. In some implementations, visual, haptic and/or audio contentis generated based on the position (including a location andorientation) of one or more users within a virtual coordinate system ofthe AR experience. For example, visual content for a user can depict anobject based on the relative position of the user to a model of theobject in the virtual coordinate system. Haptic content can provide thesensation of touching or feeling an object based on the one or moreanatomical features of the user that are abutting the object in thevirtual coordinate system. Haptic content might be implemented, at leastin part, using clothing with built-in haptics, for example. Audiocontent can implement spatial audio with a directionality correspondingto the position of the user relative to a source of the audio contentwithin the virtual coordinate system. In some implementations, spatialaudio is produced by independently controlling the sounds played intoeach ear of a user.

Consider an example of virtual content that is generated for aparticular user in an AR experience. The virtual content could includevisual content depicting an object in the AR experience, haptic contentproviding a feel of the object, and audio content providing a sound madeby the object. The size and position of the object depicted in thevisual content may correspond to the position of a user relative to theobject in a virtual coordinate system of the AR experience. Similarly,the directionality of the audio content may correspond to the positionof the user relative to the object in the virtual coordinate system. Ifthe object is to the left of the user, then audio content for the objectmight be louder in the left ear of the user. The haptic content might bebased on which part of the user is touching the object (for example, ifthe user is touching the object with their finger or their palm) andwhich part of the object the user is touching in the virtual coordinatesystem.

Virtual content can be continuously or intermittently updated by thevirtual content generator 516 to reflect changes and/or modifications inan AR experience. If a user moves within a virtual coordinate system ofthe AR experience, then new virtual content can be generated to reflectthe new position of the user within the virtual coordinate system. Forexample, when the user moves relative to a virtual model in the virtualcoordinate system, then the size and orientation of a render of themodel can change accordingly. Similar comments apply to audio contentand haptic content included in the virtual content for the user, whichcan also change when the user moves.

In some implementations, the virtual content generated for a user by thevirtual content generator 516 is AR content. The AR content is overlaidonto a real-world space surrounding the user, providing the user with anAR experience. This can include overlaying the AR content on an image ofthe real-world space captured by a camera, for example. Alternatively,the AR content can be overlaid onto the real-world space using atransparent display in an AR headset, for example. The AR content can begenerated based on a representation of the real-world space that isstored in the user space record 512.

In some implementations, the virtual content provided for a user by thevirtual content generator 516 is VR content. The VR content includes oneor more virtual representations of objects, users and/or userinteractions that are overlaid on a representation of a virtual space.Accordingly, the VR content can be entirely computer-generated. Therepresentation of the virtual space could be obtained from the userspace record 512, for example.

In some implementations, the virtual content generator 516 provides ashared AR experience for multiple users. The virtual content generatedfor each of the multiple users can be based on a single virtualcoordinate system that defines one or more virtual models of objects,users and/or user interactions. Each user in the shared AR experiencecan have a position (including a location and orientation) within thevirtual coordinate system, and the virtual content generated for eachuser may depend on their position.

It should be noted that AR content might not always be generated for allusers in a shared AR experience. In some implementations, a shared ARexperience provides a combination of AR content and VR content. By wayof example, when a customer is interacting with a merchant in a sharedAR experience, the customer may receive AR content that is overlaid ontheir real-world surroundings, while the merchant may receive VR contentthat is entirely computer-generated. The customer and the merchant mayboth be viewing a model of a product sold by the merchant in the sharedAR experience. The customer may wish to see how the product will look intheir house, and therefore chooses AR content to be overlaid on theirreal-world surroundings. On the other hand, the merchant might only bein the shared AR experience to assist the customer and might not carewhat environment they view the product in. Therefore, the merchant canchoose VR content. Alternatively, the virtual content for the merchantmight not be overlaid on an environment at all. The merchant may simplybe viewing one or more 3D models in an otherwise empty space. Both theAR content and the VR content may include representations of themerchant/customer, allowing for a collaborative AR experience.

Although the image analyzer 514 and the virtual content generator 516are illustrated as separate models, this is only an example. Someembodiments could combine the functionality of the image analyzer 514and the virtual content generator 516 in a single software instancestored in the memory 506 or in another non-transitory computer readablemedium.

Virtual content, including AR content and VR content, that is generatedby the AR engine 502 can be output to either or both of the user devices530 a, 530 b. As such, the user devices 530 a, 530 b can enablerespective users to engage with a shared AR experience. Non-limitingexamples of a user device include a mobile phone, tablet, laptop,projector, headset and computer. A user device may be a customer devicethat is owned and/or operated by a customer or be a merchant device thatis owned and/or operated by a merchant, for example. In someimplementations, either or both of the user devices 530 a, 530 b includeimplanted devices or wearable devices, such as a device embedded inclothing material or a device that is worn by a user such as glasses,with built-in displays allowing a user to view the real-world andsimultaneously view virtual content that is overlaid on the real-world.

The user device 530 a includes a processor 532 a, memory 534 a, userinterface 536 a, network interface 538 a and sensor 540 a. Similarly,the user device 530 b includes a processor 532 b, memory 534 b, userinterface 536 b, network interface 538 b and sensor 540 b. The userdevice 530 a will be described by way of example below. However, itshould be noted the description of the user device 530 a can also applyto the user device 530 b.

The user interface 536 a can include, for example, a display screen(which may be a touch screen), a gesture recognition system, a speaker,headphones, a microphone, haptics, a keyboard, and/or a mouse. The userinterface 536 a may be at least partially implemented by wearabledevices embedded in clothing and/or accessories, for example. The userinterface 536 a can present virtual content to a user, including visual,haptic and audio content. The network interface 538 a is provided forcommunicating over the network 520. The structure of the networkinterface 538 a will depend on how the user device 530 a interfaces withthe network 520. For example, if the user device 530 a is a mobilephone, headset or tablet, then the network interface 538 a may include atransmitter/receiver with an antenna to send and receive wirelesstransmissions to/from the network 520. If the user device is a personalcomputer connected to the network with a network cable, then the networkinterface 538 a may include, for example, a NIC, a computer port, and/ora network socket. The processor 532 a directly performs or instructs allof the operations performed by the user device 530 a. Examples of theseoperations include processing user inputs received from the userinterface 536 a, preparing information for transmission over the network520, processing data received over the network 520, and instructing adisplay screen to display information. The processor 532 a may beimplemented by one or more processors that execute instructions storedin the memory 534 a. Alternatively, some or all of the processor 532 amay be implemented using dedicated circuitry, such as an ASIC, a GPU, ora programmed FPGA.

The sensor 540 a is provided to obtain measurements of the real-worldenvironment surrounding the user device 530 a. These measurements can beused to generate representations of real-world spaces and/or 3D modelsof objects, for example. The representations of the real-world spacesmay be stored in the user space record 512 and the 3D models of objectsmay be stored in the virtual model record 510.

The sensor 540 a may include one or more cameras, radar sensors, lidarsensors and sonar sensors, for example. In the case of a camera, thecaptured images may be processed by the image analyzer 514. Measurementsobtained from radar sensors, lidar sensors and sonar sensors can also beprocessed by the AR engine 502. Although the sensor 540 a is shown as acomponent of the user device 530 a, the sensor 540 a may also or insteadbe implemented separately from the user device 530 a and may communicatewith the user device 530 a and/or the AR engine 502 via wired and/orwireless connections, for example.

In some implementations, the user device 530 a has AR capabilities. Forexample, an AR engine similar to the AR engine 502 could be implementedin part or in whole on the user device 530 a. A software application orinstance may be installed on the user device 530 a that generatesvirtual content locally (i.e., on the user device 530 a). The softwareapplication could receive the virtual model record 510, the user spacerecord 512, the image analyzer 514 and/or the virtual content generator516 from the AR engine 502.

In FIG. 5 , two user devices are shown by way of example. More than twouser devices may be in communication with the AR engine 502.

The AR engine 502 is provided by way of example. Other implementationsof an AR engine are also contemplated. In some implementations, an ARengine is provided at least in part by an e-commerce platform, either asa core function of the e-commerce platform or as an application orservice supported by or communicating with the e-commerce platform. Insome implementations, an AR engine is implemented at least in part by auser device, such as a customer device or a merchant device. In someimplementations, an AR engine is implemented as a stand-alone service togenerate AR content. While the AR engine 502 is shown as a singlecomponent, an AR engine could instead be provided by multiple differentcomponents that are in communication via a network.

Generating Multi-User AR Content with Virtual Representations of Users

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 600 of generating ARcontent for a shared AR experience, according to an embodiment. Themethod 600 will be described as being performed by the AR engine 502 ofFIG. 5 , with the shared AR experience including at least the user ofthe user device 530 a (who will be referred to as the “first user”) andthe user of the user device 530 b (who will be referred to as the“second user”). However, at least a portion of the method 600 couldinstead be performed elsewhere, such as at the user device 530 a and/orthe user device 530 b, for example.

Step 602 is an optional step that includes the processor 504 initiatingthe shared AR experience based on instructions received from either orboth of the user devices 530 a, 530 b. The shared AR experience could beinitiated in any of a number of different ways. In one example, a firstuser could initiate a personal AR experience on the user device 530 a.The first user could then invite the second user into the AR experience,creating a shared AR experience. In another example, the AR experiencecould be initiated for the first user and the second user at the sametime. As such, the AR experience is initiated as a multi-user ARexperience.

Step 604 includes the processor 504 obtaining a model of an item for theshared AR experience. This model can be a 3D model. In someimplementations, the model of the item is obtained from the virtualmodel record 510. The first user and/or the second user may select themodel from the virtual model record 510 based on a specific item thatthe first user and/or the second user wishes to view in the shared ARexperience. For example, if the first user wishes to view a particularproduct sold by a merchant, then step 604 may include the first usersearching for this product in the virtual model record 510 and selectinga model of the product. In other implementations, the model of the itemmay be obtained directly from one of the user devices 530 a, 530 b.

The model of the item obtained in step 604 may be positioned orotherwise defined within a virtual coordinate system. The model might beanchored to the origin of the virtual coordinate system, such that modelis at the center of the virtual coordinate system. The dimensions of theitem may be defined by the model, allowing the item to be properlyscaled within the virtual coordinate system to reflect the item'sphysical size.

In some implementations, multiple models of items could be obtained instep 604 and included in the shared AR experience. These multiple modelsmay be obtained at once or at different times, and may be selected bythe first user, the second user, or both.

Step 606 includes the processor 504 determining a position of the firstuser within the virtual coordinate system. It should be noted that theposition of the first user in the virtual coordinate system can includea coordinate of the first user in the virtual coordinate system as wellas an orientation of the first user in the virtual coordinate system.Following step 606, the model of the item and the first user will haverespective positions defined within the virtual coordinate system,allowing the position of the model relative to the first user to bedetermined.

In some implementations, the position of the first user is determinedbased on first information obtained by the user device 530 a. The firstinformation may be transmitted to the AR engine 502 by the user device530 a via the network 520. The form of the first information is notlimited herein. In some implementations, the first information includesor provides a representation of a space associated with the first user.This space provides a setting or environment in which the first user canview the model of the item. The virtual coordinate system can then bemapped to the representation of the space to determine the position ofthe first user within the virtual coordinate system.

In some cases, the space associated with the first user is a 3D,real-world space where the first user is physically present. Forexample, the real-world space may be a room of the first user's house.The first information may include measurements of the real-world spacethat are collected by the user device 530 a. The representation of thereal-world space can then be generated from these measurements. If themeasurements include optical images, then the image analyzer 514 mayhelp process the images to generate the representation of the real-worldspace. Other examples of the measurements include radar scans, lidarscans and sonar scans of the real-world space. The representation of thereal-world space may be stored in the user space record 512.

In other cases, the first information might include a selection of apreviously generated representation of a space from the user spacerecord 512. This space may correspond to a location that is specific tothe first user (such as a room of the first user's house, for example)and may be based on measurements that were previously obtained from thefirst user.

A position of the first user (including a location and orientation) inthe space can be determined in step 606, possibly based on the firstinformation obtained by the user device 530 a. For example, the firstinformation may include an indication of the position of the first userwithin the space. In some cases, the position of the first user isconsidered to be equivalent to the position of the user device 530 a.Examples of such cases include when the user device 530 a is a smartphone or headset that is held, attached to and/or operated by the firstuser. In these cases, step 606 can include determining the position ofthe user device 530 a in the space, and the position of the first useris inferred from the position of the user device 530 a.

If the representation of the space is determined based on measurementsobtained by the user device 530 a, then the position of the first usermay also be determined from the measurements. For example, analysis ofthe measurements may allow determination of the distance from the firstuser or the user device 530 a to one or more surfaces in the space.Lidar and radar have ranging capabilities to determine distances tosurfaces. Further, image analysis performed by the image analyzer 514may, additionally or alternatively, be used to determine the distancesto surfaces from optical images. When the distance from the first useror the user device 530 a to one or more surfaces within the space isknown, then the position of the first user and/or user device 530 awithin the space can be determined through triangulation or other means.Global positioning system (GPS) data may also or instead be used todetermine the position of the user device 530 a within the space. Insome cases, the process of generating a representation of a real-worldspace and determining the first user's position within the real-worldspace can be performed using a SLAM process.

An explicit indication of the position of the first user within thespace can also or instead be provided by the first information. Forexample, the coordinates of the first user and/or the user device 530 awithin the space could be directly provided to the AR engine 502.

When the first information provides a representation of a space, step606 can include mapping the virtual coordinate system to therepresentation of the space. This may involve obtaining a position(including a location and orientation) of the model obtained in step 604within the space. In some cases, the first information includes aselection or indication of a desired position of the model within thespace. For example, the first user may use the user device 530 a toindicate that they would like to position the model of the item at acertain location and orientation within the space. This position of themodel may be used as an anchor point to map the virtual coordinatesystem to the space. The virtual coordinate system and the model canthen be fixed relative to the space.

At step 606, after obtaining the representation of the space,determining the position of the first user within the space and mappingof the virtual coordinate system to the space, the position of the firstuser within the virtual coordinate system may be determined.

Step 608 includes the processor 504 determining a position of the seconduser within the virtual coordinate system. The position of the seconduser in the virtual coordinate system can include a coordinate of thesecond user in the virtual coordinate system as well as an orientationof the second user in the virtual coordinate system. Following step 608,the first user, the second user and the model of the item will haverespective positions defined within the virtual coordinate system. Thiscan enable the position of the first user relative to the second userand relative to the model to be determined.

The position of the second user in the virtual coordinate system may bedetermined using methods similar to those described above in relation tostep 606 and the determination of the position of the first user in thevirtual coordinate system. In some implementations, the position of thesecond user in the virtual coordinate system may be determined based onsecond information obtained by the user device 530 b and transmitted tothe AR engine 502 via the network 520. The second information mayinclude a representation of a space associated with the second user. Insome cases, the space associated with the second user is a real-worldspace that is different from a real-world space associated with thefirst user. For example, respective real-world spaces associated withthe first user and the second user could be physically separate fromeach other. Accordingly, the first user and second user might be indifferent rooms, buildings, cities or even countries.

In some implementations, the representation of the space for the seconduser is a computer-generated representation of a virtual space. Thevirtual space could represent a space that is associated with the seconduser, but this might not always be the case. The virtual space couldinstead be a non-personal or generic space. For example, a generic roommight be depicted in a computer-generated representation of a virtualspace.

Step 608 can include determining the position of the second user withinthe virtual coordinate system based on the position of the second userwithin their associated space. The position of the second user withintheir space can be determined using measurements or an explicitindication received from the user device 530 b, for example. In someimplementations, the processor 504 obtains a position of the model ofthe item within the space associated with the second user from the userdevice 530 b. The processor 504 may then map the virtual coordinatesystem to the space of the second user based on the position of themodel within the space. This mapping can allow the position of thesecond user within the virtual coordinate system to be determined.

Following steps 604, 606, 608, respective positions of the first user,the second user and the model of the item in the single virtualcoordinate system have been obtained. The virtual coordinate system mayhave been mapped to different spaces associated with the first user andthe second user. As such, the first user and the second user caninteract with the model of the item in environments of their choosing.

In step 610, the processor 504 obtains audio of the second user. Forexample, the voice of the second user could be recorded by a microphonein the user device 530 b and be transmitted to the AR engine 502. Otherinformation regarding the second user could also be collected in step610, such as an image of the second user. For example, the user device530 b may be a mobile device that has a rear-facing camera to captureimages of the real-world space surrounding the second user, and afront-facing camera to capture an image of the second user's face.

Step 612 includes the processor 504 generating AR content for the firstuser. The AR content may include, inter alia, a render of the modelobtained in step 604, a virtual representation of the second user, audiocontent, and/or haptic content. In some implementations, the AR contentis generated using the virtual content generator 516.

The render of the model of the item is generated based on the positionof the first user within the virtual coordinate system. For example, theorientation of the model depicted in the render can correspond to thefirst user's viewpoint of the model in the virtual coordinate system.Further, the size of the render can correspond to the first user'sdistance from the model in the virtual coordinate system. For example,as the first user moves further away from the model in the virtualcoordinate system, then the size of the model in the AR content for thefirst user can decrease.

The virtual representation of the second user may be based on theposition of the first user and on the position of the second user in thevirtual coordinate system. For example, the position of the second userrelative to the position of the first user in the virtual coordinatesystem can determine the distance between the first user and the seconduser and the orientation of the second user relative to the first user.This distance and orientation can then be used to generate therepresentation of the second user. The distance between the first userand the second user in the virtual coordinate system can be reflected inthe size of the virtual representation of the second user. The virtualrepresentation of the second user may also include an indication of theorientation of the second user in the virtual coordinate system.

The representation of the second user and the render of the model in theAR content generated in step 612 may reflect the position of the seconduser relative to the model in the virtual coordinate system.Accordingly, the first user's AR content may convey the second user'sperspective of the item depicted by the model.

In some implementations, the representation of the second user isgenerated using a model depicting or representing the second user. Thismodel may be obtained from the virtual model record 510 and mapped tothe virtual coordinate system at the position of the second user. Arender of the model of the second user may be used as the representationof the second user. The model of the second user may be considered avirtual avatar of the second user.

The form of the representation of the second user is not limited herein.The representation of the second user may depict the second user'sentire body, a part of the second user's body (for example, the user'sface), and/or some object associated with the second user. However, therepresentation of the second user might not depict the second user atall. Instead, the representation of the second user could be a symbol orobject that represents the second user. In some cases, therepresentation of the second user includes a virtual user device. In atleast some of these cases, the position of the second user determined instep 608 might correspond to the position of the user device 530 b. Anexample of a virtual user device is the virtual representation 406 ofFIG. 4 .

In some implementations, the virtual representation of the second usermay include at least a portion of an image of the second user that isobtained in step 610. This image may be an image of the second user'sface, which can be incorporated into the representation of the seconduser in the AR content for the first user. As such, the first user canview the real-time facial expressions of the second user, therebyproviding a more immersive multi-user AR experience. In some cases, a 3Dmodel of the second user's face may be generated based on multipleimages captured by the user device 530 b. This 3D model could be used togenerate different views of the second user's face to reflect theorientation of the second user relative to the first user in the virtualcoordinate system.

The audio content in the AR content for the first user may include or bebased on the audio of the second user obtained in step 610. In this way,the first user may be able to listen to the second user in the shared ARexperience, enabling verbal communication between the users. Other audiocontent, such as sounds associated with the model of the item, may,additionally or alternatively, be included in the AR content.

In some implementations, the audio content may be spatialized based onthe position of the first user and the position of the user or objectmaking the sound in the audio content. Spatialized audio has adirectionality that can be conveyed by multiple speakers in the userdevice 530 a. By way of example, audio content that is based on an audiorecording of the second user obtained in step 610 can include adirectionality corresponding to the position of the second user relativeto the position of the first user within the virtual coordinate system.If the position of the second user is to the left of the first user inthe virtual coordinate system, then the audio recording of the seconduser might only be played in a left speaker of the user device 530 a.This can allow the first user to appreciate the relative position of thesecond user based on the audio content, providing a more immersive ARexperience.

Haptic content included in the AR content generated at step 612 canallow the first user to virtually touch and feel other objects in theshared AR experience, including the model of the item and the seconduser, for example.

In step 614, the AR content is output by the processor 504 forpresentation at the user device 530 a. This can include transmitting atleast some of the AR content to the user device 530 a via the network520. Visual content in the AR content can be displayed on a screen ofthe user device 530 a and audio content in the AR content can be playedon a speaker of the user device 530 a, for example.

In some implementations, the AR content includes at least a portion of arepresentation of a real-world space for the first user. For example,during presentation at the user device 530 a, at least some of the ARcontent (including the render of the model and the virtualrepresentation of the second user, for example) can be overlaid on animage of the real-world space obtained in step 606. As such, the ARcontent can be superimposed over the real-world surroundings of thefirst user.

Overlaying the AR content on an image of the real-world space can beperformed at the AR engine 502 or at the user device 530 a. By way ofexample, the render of the model and the virtual representation of thesecond user could be generated at the AR engine 502 and then transmittedto the user device 530 a, where the render of the model and the virtualrepresentation of the second user are overlaid on an image captured bythe user device 530 a. Alternatively, the AR content might not include arepresentation of the real-world space for the first user. The ARcontent might instead be presented on a transparent display in the userdevice 530 a, allowing the first user to view the AR content and thereal-world simultaneously.

As illustrated by the feedback arrow from step 614 to step 606 in FIG. 6, steps 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 can be repeated multiple times. This canallow the first user to navigate within the shared AR experience andreceive new AR content in response, for example. At each instance ofstep 614, updated AR content for the first user is output to the userdevice 530 a, which can include updated renders of the model of theitem, updated representations of the second user, new audio content,and/or new haptic content.

In the case that the first user's position within the virtual coordinatesystem is determined based on the first user's position within areal-world space, navigation within the AR experience can include thefirst user physically moving themselves or their user device 530 awithin the real-world space. Based on measurements from the user device530 a, an updated position of the first user in the real-world space canbe determined at each instance of step 606, which can be mapped to thevirtual coordinate system that remains fixed in the real-world space. Anupdated position of the second user in the virtual coordinate system canalso be determined at each instance of step 608. Updated AR content forthe first user can then be generated at step 612 based on the updatedpositions of the first user and the second user. As the user device 530a captures more measurements of the real-world space through theiterations of step 606, the representation of the real-world space canalso be updated. This can add new features and/or areas to therepresentation of the real-world space. However, the position of themodel of the item in the virtual coordinate system can remain fixed overtime and therefore may only need to be defined once in the method 600.

It should be noted that the order of steps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612,614 in FIG. 6 are shown by way of example only. Different orders ofsteps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 are also contemplated. Forexample, step 608 could be performed before step 606. Additionally oralternatively, two or more of steps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614could be performed simultaneously.

Although the method 600 relates to the generation of AR content for thefirst user, virtual content can also be generated for the second user bythe AR engine 502. Further users may also be present in the shared ARexperience and receive associated virtual content generated by the ARengine 502. The virtual content for the second user may be AR content orVR content that is generated using the virtual content generator 516,for example. The virtual content could then be output for presentationat the user device 530 b. The virtual content may include any one ormore of:

-   -   a render of the model based on the position of the second user        within the virtual coordinate system;    -   a representation of the first user based on the position of the        first user and on the position of the second user within the        virtual coordinate system;    -   audio content; and    -   haptic content.

In the case that AR content is generated for the second user, stepssimilar to steps 610, 612, 614 could be implemented to generate the ARcontent. Alternatively, other virtual content could be generated for thesecond user by adding a render of the model and/or a representation ofthe first user to a virtual space, for example. The virtual space may beobtained from the user space record 512. The second user could navigatewithin the shared AR experience using the user interface 536 b. Forexample, the user interface 536 b could include buttons to move thesecond user's position within the virtual coordinate system.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 7 to 10 , which illustrate a sharedAR experience for a customer and a merchant, according to an embodiment.The customer and the merchant are users that are in different physicallocations but are virtually interacting with a stand-up kitchen mixer inthe shared AR experience using their respective devices. FIG. 7 is aperspective view of a virtual coordinate system 700 of the shared ARexperience at a first instance in time, FIG. 8 illustrates a customerdevice 800 displaying AR content 802 for the shared AR experience at thefirst instance in time, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the virtualcoordinate system 700 of the shared AR experience at a second instancein time, and FIG. 10 illustrates the customer device 800 displayingfurther AR content 1002 for the shared AR experience at the secondinstance in time. In FIGS. 8 and 10 , the customer device 800 alsodisplays an indication 810 that the merchant is present in the shared ARexperience, an option 812 to exit the shared AR experience, an option814 to mute the microphone of the customer device 800 so that themerchant cannot hear the customer, and an option 816 to access otherfunctionality. The shared AR experience of FIGS. 7 to 10 could beprovided, at least in part, using the method 600.

The shared AR experience for the merchant and the customer illustratedin FIGS. 7 to 10 could be initiated in any of a number of differentways. In some implementations, the shared AR experience is initiated instep 602 of the method 600. In one example, the customer could initiatea personal AR experience on the customer device 800 to view and/orinteract with the mixer virtually in their kitchen. The customer mightthen invite the merchant into the AR experience if, for example, thecustomer has a question for the merchant regarding the mixer. The act ofinviting the merchant into the AR experience could initiate a multi-userAR experience. In another example, the AR experience could be initiatedfor the customer and the merchant at the same time. As such, the ARexperience is initiated as a multi-user AR experience. The customer mayinitiate a shared AR experience with the merchant in order to ask themerchant questions regarding the mixer. Alternatively, the customercould send a question to the merchant regarding the mixer, and themerchant could initiate the shared AR experience with the customer tohelp answer the customer's question.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 , the virtual coordinate system 700 is acartesian coordinate system including an x-axis, y-axis and z-axis. A 3Dvirtual model 702 of the stand-up kitchen mixer is positioned at theorigin of the virtual coordinate system 700. The position of the model702 does not change between the first instance in time and the secondinstance in time. As such, the model 702 could be considered anchored inthe virtual coordinate system 700. In some implementations, the model702 is obtained in step 604 of the method 600.

A 3D virtual model 704 of the customer and a 3D virtual model 706 of themerchant are also positioned within the virtual coordinate system 700.Each of the models 704, 706 depicts a virtual hand holding a virtualuser device. The positions of the models 704, 706 in the virtualcoordinate system 700 correspond to the positions of the customer andthe merchant, respectively, which may be determined in steps 606, 608 ofthe method 600. For example, based on information obtained from thecustomer device 800, the position of the customer within the virtualcoordinate system 700 may be determined. The customer device 800 mayobtain a representation of the customer's kitchen through opticalimages, lidar and/or radar, and determine the customer's position withinthe kitchen. The customer could indicate that they wish the model 702 ofthe mixer to be positioned on a kitchen counter at a particularorientation. The virtual coordinate system 700 may then be mapped to therepresentation of the kitchen to position the model 702 of the mixer onthe kitchen counter, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 . Similarly, theposition of the merchant within the virtual coordinate system 700 may bedetermined based on information from a merchant device (not shown).

The positions of one or both of the models 704, 706 in the virtualcoordinate system 700 may change between the first instance in time andthe second instance in time, the change in positions corresponding tomovement of the customer and/or the merchant within the virtualcoordinate system 700. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , at thefirst instance in time the customer and the merchant are generallypositioned on opposite sides of the model 702 of the mixer in thevirtual coordinate system 700. Later, at the second instance in timeshown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the customer and the merchant are generallypositioned on the same side of the model 702 of the mixer in the virtualcoordinate system 700. The movement of the customer between the firstinstance in time and the second instance in time may correspond to thecustomer physically moving within their kitchen. The customer device 800can continuously determine the position of the customer in the kitchenthrough measurements and map this position to the virtual coordinatesystem 700 using the fixed position of the mixer on the counter of thekitchen.

The AR content 802, 1002 are examples of AR content that could begenerated in separate instances of step 612 of the method 600. In afirst instance of step 612, the AR content 802 may be generated. The ARcontent 802 includes a virtual representation 804 of the mixer and avirtual representation 806 of the merchant. The virtual representation804 is a render of the model 702 of the mixer generated based on theposition of the customer in the virtual coordinate system 700 at thefirst instance in time. Likewise, the virtual representation 806 is arender of the model 706 generated based on the position of the customerand the position of the merchant in the virtual coordinate system 700 atthe first instance in time. In a second instance of step 612, the ARcontent 1002 may be generated. The AR content 1002 also includes avirtual representation 1004 of the mixer, which is a render of the model702 of the mixer generated based on the position of the customer in thevirtual coordinate system 700 at the second instance in time.

As illustrated, the AR content 802, 1002 is overlaid on an image of thecustomer's kitchen that is captured by the customer device 800. As such,the customer can view the mixer in their kitchen through the virtualrepresentations 804, 1004. Further, the customer can see how themerchant is viewing the mixer at the first instance in time through thevirtual representation 806 of the merchant. Based on the position of themobile device depicted in the virtual representation 806, the customercan appreciate the point of view of the merchant. The orientation of themobile device depicted in the virtual representation 806 is an exampleof an indication of an orientation of the merchant in the virtualcoordinate system 700. By virtue of the shared AR experience, themerchant and the customer are able to appreciate each other's view ofthe mixer, which provides context for their communication.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the merchant is not in sight of the customer in thevirtual coordinate system 700 at the second instance in time. Therefore,the AR content 1002 does not include a virtual representation of themerchant. However, the AR content 1002 can still provide an indicationof the position of the merchant in the virtual coordinate system 700 atthe second instance in time. For example, audio content corresponding toa recording of the merchant's voice could be included in the AR content1002. This audio content may include a directionality that correspondsto the position of the merchant relative to the position of the customerin the virtual coordinate system 700. The customer may therefore be ableto determine the position of the merchant in the virtual coordinatesystem 700 at the second instance in time based on the directionality ofthe audio content.

Although not shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 , virtual content could also begenerated for the merchant in the shared AR experience. In someimplementations, the virtual content for the merchant is AR content.However, the virtual content might instead be VR content or simply be aview of the 3D model 702 of the mixer. The virtual content for themerchant can be output to a merchant device. In some implementations,the virtual content for the merchant can include an image captured bythe customer device 800. This may provide the merchant with insight intothe real-world space (i.e., the customer's kitchen) that the customerwishes to use for the product.

Generating Multi-User AR Content with Virtual Representations of UserInteractions

FIGS. 6 to 10 relate to implementing virtual representations ofdifferent users in a multi-user AR experience, which can help improveuser communication within the AR experience. However, methods forimproving the communication between multiple users in an AR experienceare not limited to the implementation of virtual representations ofusers. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to generatingmulti-user AR content that includes virtual user interactions. Thismulti-user AR content can provide a shared, interactive AR experiencefor multiple simultaneous users. The virtual interactions of one userwithin the AR experience are conveyed to the other user(s) in the ARexperience. Examples of such interactions include a user gesturingtowards a virtual item in the AR experience and even touching thevirtual item. Displaying virtual interactions in the AR experience canhelp improve non-verbal communication between the different users.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 1100 of generating ARcontent for a shared AR experience with virtual user interactions,according to an embodiment. The method 1100 will be described as beingperformed by the AR engine 502 of FIG. 5 , with the shared AR experienceincluding at least the first user of the user device 530 a and thesecond user of the user device 530 b. However, at least a portion of themethod 1100 could instead be performed elsewhere, such as at the userdevice 530 a and/or the user device 530 b, for example.

Step 1102 is an optional step that includes the processor 504 generatinginitial virtual content for presentation to the first user in the sharedAR experience. This initial virtual content, which may be AR content orVR content, for example, can be generated using any method disclosedherein. For example, the initial virtual content could be AR contentthat is generated using the method 600 of FIG. 6 . The initial virtualcontent can include a render of a 3D model defined within the virtualcoordinate system of the shared AR experience. The initial virtualcontent can also include other content, such as a virtual representationof the second user, audio content and/or haptic content.

In step 1104, the processor 504 outputs the initial virtual content forpresentation at the user device 530 a. As such, the first user is ableto view and/or interact with the initial virtual content via the userdevice 530 a. In some implementations, the initial virtual content thatis generated in step 1102 is AR content that is generated for the seconduser. The first user can therefore see the AR scene that the second useris viewing in step 1104.

Step 1106 includes the processor 504 obtaining a position of aninteraction between the first user and the initial virtual contentpresented at the user device 530 a. The position of the interaction maythen be stored in the memory 506 or in another non-transitory computerreadable medium. The interaction between the first user and the initialvirtual content can include any action performed by the first user thatrelates to the initial virtual content. By way of example, theinteraction could include the first user virtually pointing towards,grabbing or even touching the render of the model in the initial virtualcontent. Because the render of the model is defined within the virtualcoordinate system, the position of the interaction can be determinedwithin the virtual coordinate system. In some cases, a type ofinteraction is also determined in step 1106. For example, interactionsmay be categorized as pointing, grabbing or touching interactions.

The position of an interaction between the first user and the initialvirtual content may be determined in any of a number of different ways,which may depend on the form of the virtual content. For example, userinteractions with VR content may differ from user interactions with ARcontent, and as a result the methods for determining the position of aninteraction can differ for AR content and VR content.

In some implementations, the interaction between the first user and theinitial virtual content includes the first user selecting atwo-dimensional (2D) point in the initial virtual content using the userdevice 530 a. For example, the user device 530 a may include a 2Ddisplay screen that displays at least part of the initial virtualcontent to the first user. The first user can select a point on thedisplay screen that corresponds to a 2D point in the initial virtualcontent. If the display screen is a touch screen, then the 2D point canbe selected using a touch action. Alternatively, the 2D point could beselected using a cursor such as a mouse cursor, for example. In somecases, the first user might be pointing towards a particular componentin the render of the model in the initial virtual content, and the 2Dpoint could correspond to this component in the render of the model.

The 2D point in the initial virtual content that is selected by thefirst user can be mapped to the virtual coordinate system to determine aposition of the interaction within the virtual coordinate system. Thismapping may be based on the position (including the location and theorientation) of the first user within the virtual coordinate system.Steps 606, 608 of the method 600 provide examples of obtaining theposition of a user in a virtual coordinate system.

In some implementations, the 2D point in the initial virtual content ismapped to a 2D point in a plane of the virtual coordinate system thatcorresponds to the position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system. A normal vector to the plane defines the viewpoint orperspective of the first user in the virtual coordinate system. As such,a normal vector that extends through the 2D point in the plane canprovide a 3D line extending in the direction of the first user'sperspective in the virtual coordinate system. The normal vector mayintersect with the model in the virtual coordinate system, and theresulting 3D point of intersection in the virtual coordinate system canform the basis of the position of the interaction between the first userand the initial virtual content.

Accordingly, when the interaction between the first user and the initialvirtual content includes a selection of a 2D point in the initialvirtual content, the position of the interaction may be based on theposition of the first user within the virtual coordinate system as wellas on the position of the 2D point in the initial virtual content. Insuch cases, step 1106 can include mapping the 2D point in the initialvirtual content to a 2D point in a plane of the virtual coordinatesystem based on the position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system. A vector that extends through the 2D point in theplane of the virtual coordinate system and is perpendicular to the planeof the virtual coordinate system can then be determined. The position ofthe interaction between the first user and the initial virtual contentmay be based on a 3D point of intersection within the virtual coordinatesystem where the vector intersects with the model. An orientation of theinteraction can be based on the orientation of the vector relative tothe model within the virtual coordinate system.

In some implementations, the interaction between the first user and theinitial virtual content occurs using a feature of the first user (forexample, the first user's hand) that is mapped to the virtual coordinatesystem of the shared AR experience. This feature of the first user caninclude any means for the first user to interact with the initialvirtual content, and in some cases will depend on the form of theinitial virtual content generated in step 1102. The feature of the firstuser may be controllable in 3D, allowing the first user unrestrictedmovement of the feature within the virtual coordinate system.

When the interaction between the first user and the initial virtualcontent occurs using a feature of the first user, the position of theinteraction within the virtual coordinate system may be based on theposition of the feature within the virtual coordinate system. As such,step 1106 can include obtaining the position of the feature within thevirtual coordinate system. In some implementations, the position of thefeature within the virtual coordinate system is determined based on theposition of the feature within a real-world or virtual space associatedwith the first user. A representation of this space and a position ofthe model within the space may be obtained, allowing the virtualcoordinate system to be mapped to the space based on the position of themodel within the space. This mapping enables the position of the featurewithin the virtual coordinate system to be determined based on theposition of the feature within the space. It should be noted thatdetermining the position of the feature of the first user within thespace and/or within the virtual coordinate system can includedetermining an orientation of the feature. Further details regardingmapping a virtual coordinate system to a real-world or virtual space canbe found elsewhere herein.

In some implementations, the initial virtual content for the first userincludes AR content and the feature of the first user is a real-worldfeature that is mapped from a real-world space to the virtual coordinatesystem. An example of a real-world feature is an anatomical feature suchas the hand of a user. When the virtual coordinate system is mapped to arepresentation of the real-world space surrounding the first user, theposition of the real-world feature in the virtual coordinate system canbe determined.

In some implementations, the representation of the real-world spacesurrounding the first user is generated based on an image captured bythe user device 530 a. Here, determining the position of the feature ofthe first user within the space can include performing image analysis onthe image. The image analysis may be performed using the image analyzer514. By way of example, the user device 530 a may obtain images or othermeasurements that can recognize the first user's hand and determine theposition of the hand within the real-world space. The first user maywear AR-specific gloves to help improve the detectability of their handin the real-world space. The position of the first user's hand can thenbe mapped to the virtual coordinate system. The first user can movetheir hand within the real-world space, resulting in correspondingmovements of the first user's hand in the virtual coordinate system. Thefirst user can therefore interact with the AR content by pointingtowards or touching the model in the virtual coordinate system, forexample.

The position of an anatomical feature of the first user in the virtualcoordinate system may correspond to the position of an interactionbetween the first user and the initial virtual content. In someimplementations, the detection of the anatomical feature of the firstuser in the real-world space can be considered an interaction with theinitial virtual content. Therefore, the position of the anatomicalfeature in the virtual coordinate system can be continuously determined.In some implementations, measurements of the anatomical feature in thereal-world space are analyzed to detect discrete actions performed bythe anatomical feature that are construed as interactions with theinitial virtual content. For example, in the case that the anatomicalfeature is the first user's hand, gestures such as pointing and grabbingcould be detected and construed as interactions. The position of thehand when executing these gestures could then be determined.

The feature of the first user might not always be a real-world feature.Instead, the feature could be a virtual feature controlled by the firstuser using the user device 530 a. This may be the case if the initialvirtual content is VR content or is an AR scene that has been generatedfor the second user. An example of a virtual feature is a cursorcontrolled by the first user using the user device 530 a. The userdevice 530 a could include one or more controls (such as joysticks) thatenable movement of the cursor. The cursor can be mapped to the virtualcoordinate system of the shared AR experience, allowing the first userto navigate the cursor to 3D points within the virtual coordinatesystem. The cursor can be used to interact with the initial virtualcontent, and therefore the position of the cursor can correspond to theposition of an interaction between the first user and the initialvirtual content within the virtual coordinate system.

Obtaining the position of the interaction between the first user and theinitial virtual content in step 1106 may include obtaining informationfrom the user device 530 a. The form of this information will depend onthe type of interaction between the first user and the initial virtualcontent. If the interaction includes a selection of a 2D point in theinitial virtual content using the first user device, then theinformation obtained from the user device 530 a can include anindication of this 2D point. For example, a coordinate or pixelcorresponding to the 2D point in the initial virtual content could beincluded in the information obtained from the user device 530 a. If theinteraction includes the use of a feature of the first user that hasbeen mapped to the virtual coordinate system, then the informationobtained from the user device 530 a can include an indication of theposition of the feature of the first user. Examples of such informationinclude measurements of an anatomical feature of the first user in areal-world space, and/or an indication of the position of a cursorcontrolled by the first user using the user device 530 a.

It should be noted that, in some cases, step 1106 can include obtainingthe positions of multiple user interactions in the virtual coordinatesystem of the shared AR experience. These user interactions may beperformed by the first user, the second user and/or other users in theshared AR experience.

In some implementations, at least some of step 1106 could be performedby the user device 530 a. For example, the user device 530 a could beused to help obtain a position of an anatomical feature of the firstuser within a real-world space and/or the virtual coordinate system. Theuser device 530 a may perform image analysis to help determine theposition of the feature within the real-world space.

Step 1108 includes the processor 504 generating AR content for thesecond user. The AR content includes a render of the model in the sharedAR experience that is based on a position of the second user within thevirtual coordinate system. Examples of determining the position of auser are provided in steps 606, 608 of the method 600. The AR contentfurther includes a virtual representation of the interaction between thefirst user and the initial virtual content based on the position of theinteraction determined in step 1106 and optionally on the position ofthe first user in the virtual coordinate system. Accordingly, throughthe AR content generated in step 1108, the second user may view thefirst user's interaction in the virtual coordinate system. This canallow the first user and the second user to non-verbally communicatethrough references to the model in the shared AR experience. Virtualrepresentations of other user interactions (performed by the first user,the second user, and/or another user in the shared AR experience), avirtual representation of the first user, audio content and/or hapticcontent can also be included in the AR content generated in step 1108.

The AR content generated in step 1108 may reflect the relative positionsof the first user, the second user, the first user's interaction, andthe model within the virtual coordinate system. As such, if theinteraction between the first user and the initial virtual contentoccurs at a position within the virtual coordinate system thatcorresponds to a particular component of the model, then the AR contentcan depict the interaction at this particular component of the model. Inother words, the AR content may show that the interaction corresponds tothe particular component of the model.

The form of a virtual representation of an interaction in AR content isnot limited herein. One or more objects, symbols, lights and/or colorscan be used to provide a virtual representation of an interaction in ARcontent. In one example, if the interaction includes the first userusing a display screen to select a 2D point in the initial virtualcontent, then the virtual representation of the interaction can includethe position of the interaction in the virtual coordinate system beingilluminated, circled or changed to a different color. In anotherexample, if the interaction includes a real-world pointing gestureperformed using the first user's hand, then the virtual representationof the interaction can include an object in the shape of a handperforming a pointing gesture. The shape of the hand may reflect ameasured shape of the first user's hand.

In some implementations, the virtual representation of the interactionin the AR content includes an indication of the orientation of theinteraction in the virtual coordinate system. If the position of theinteraction is determined based on a vector extending from a 2D point,then the orientation of the interaction may be based on the direction ofthe vector. The virtual representation of the interaction can provide anindication of the orientation of the vector using an arrow, for example.If the position of the interaction is based on the position of a featureof the first user, then the representation of the interaction caninclude an indication of the orientation of the feature. By way ofexample, when the virtual representation of the interaction includes avirtual pointing gesture, the orientation of the pointing gesture can bebased on the orientation of the interaction in the virtual coordinatesystem. Alternatively, the orientation of the pointing gesture can bebased on (e.g., solely on) the position of the second user, such thatthe pointing gesture is at a fixed orientation to the second user. Forexample, the direction of the pointing gesture could be perpendicular tothe viewpoint of the customer so that the customer can better appreciatethe direction of the pointing gesture.

Step 1110 includes the processor 504 outputting the AR content forpresentation at the user device 530 b. In some cases, step 1110 isperformed in a similar manner to step 614 of the method 600.

As illustrated using the arrow from step 1110 to step 1102, the method1100 may be repeated multiple times. In each instance of the method1100, updated virtual content can be generated and presented to thefirst user, a position of an interaction between the first user and thevirtual content can be obtained. Updated AR content including arepresentation of the interaction can then be generated and presented tothe second user. The first user may start, stop and/or alter theirinteractions during the multiple instances of the method 1100, which isconveyed in the updated AR content generated for the second user.

It should be noted that the method 1100 could also be performed togenerate AR content for the first user that includes virtualrepresentations of interactions between the second user and the ARcontent for the second user. In these cases, steps 1102, 1104 could besimilar to steps 1108, 1110, but generate AR content for the first userrather than for the second user, and step 1106 could determine thepositions of the interactions between the second user and the ARcontent.

FIGS. 12 to 16 illustrate examples of user interactions in a shared ARexperience, which is the same AR experience discussed above withreference to FIGS. 7 to 10 . The shared AR experience includes thecustomer and the merchant interacting with the model 702 of the stand-upkitchen mixer in the virtual coordinate system 700. The shared ARexperience of FIGS. 12 to 16 could be provided, at least in part, usingthe method 1100.

FIG. 12 illustrates a merchant device 1200 displaying virtual content1202 for the shared AR experience. The virtual content 1202 includes arender 1204 of the model 702 of the mixer overlaid onto an empty space.The render 1204 of the model 702 is generated based on the position ofthe merchant relative to the model 702 in the virtual coordinate system700. The virtual content 1202 is not overlaid onto any real-world spacesurrounding the merchant, and therefore the virtual content 1202 couldbe considered VR content. In some implementations, the virtual content1202 is generated in step 1102 of the method 1100. The merchant device1200 further displays an indication 1208 that the customer is present inthe shared AR experience.

The merchant can interact with the virtual content 1202 using themerchant device 1200, and the position of this interaction between themerchant and the virtual content 1202 may be determined in step 1106 ofthe method 1100.

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a first example of an interaction between themerchant and the virtual content 1202. FIG. 13 is a perspective view ofthe virtual coordinate system 700 for the shared AR experience duringthe first example interaction. FIG. 13 includes the model 702 of themixer, the model 704 of the customer and the model 706 of the merchant.In the first example interaction between the merchant and the virtualcontent 1202, the merchant selects a 2D point (indicated at 1206 in FIG.12 ) in the virtual content 1202 using their finger or a cursor. Theselected 2D point 1206 corresponds to a knob of the mixer. To determinethe position of the first example interaction in the virtual coordinatesystem 700, the selected 2D point 1206 in the virtual content 1202 ismapped to a 2D point in a plane 1300 of the virtual coordinate system700 shown in FIG. 13 . The plane 1300 corresponds to the position andperspective of the merchant in the virtual coordinate system 700. Avector 1302 extends from the 2D point in the plane 1300, perpendicularto the plane 1300. The vector 1302 intersects with the model 702 of themixer in the virtual coordinate system 700. The 3D point ofintersection, which is indicated at 1304 in FIG. 13 , corresponds to theknob of the mixer. The position of the first example interaction betweenthe merchant and the virtual content 1202 may then be determined basedon the 3D point of intersection 1304 and optionally on the orientationof the vector 1302 in the virtual coordinate system 700.

FIG. 14 illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 1402for the shared AR experience during the first example interactionbetween the merchant and the virtual content 1202. The AR content 1402includes a render 1404 of the mixer and a virtual representation 1406 ofthe merchant, which are based on the respective positions of thecustomer, the merchant, and the model 702 of the mixer in the virtualcoordinate system 700. The AR content 1402 further includes a virtualrepresentation 1408 of the first example interaction between themerchant and the virtual content 1202. The virtual representation 1408in the AR content 1402 is based on the 3D point of intersection 1304 inthe virtual coordinate system 700 relative to the position of thecustomer. The virtual representation 1408 is depicted as a circle aroundthe knob of the mixer, which is the same knob shown at the selected 2Dpoint 1206 in the virtual content 1202 of FIG. 12 . Therefore, althoughthe merchant and the customer have different perspectives in the sharedAR experience, the first example interaction between the merchant andthe virtual content 1202 is accurately depicted in AR content 1402 forthe customer. In some implementations, the AR content 1402 is generatedin step 1108 of the method 1100.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a second example of an interaction betweenthe merchant and the virtual content 1202, in which the merchant usestheir real-world hand to point towards the knob of the mixer. FIG. 15 isa perspective view of the virtual coordinate system 700 for the sharedAR experience during the second example interaction. FIG. 15 includes amodel 1500 of the merchant's hand. The shape and position of the model1500 depict the merchant's pointing gesture towards the knob on themodel 702 of the mixer.

In some implementations, a camera or another sensor on the merchantdevice 1200 is used to detect the merchant's hand and determine theposition of the merchant's hand in the real-world space surrounding themerchant. The position of the merchant's hand in the virtual coordinatesystem 700 can then be determined by mapping the virtual coordinatesystem 700 to the real-world space, as described elsewhere herein.

FIG. 16 illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 1602for the shared AR experience during the second example interactionbetween the merchant and the virtual content 1202. The AR content 1602includes a render 1604 of the model 702 of the mixer based on therespective positions of the customer and the model 702 of the mixer inthe virtual coordinate system 700. The AR content 1602 further includesa virtual representation 1606 of the second example interaction betweenthe merchant and the virtual content 1202. The position of the virtualrepresentation 1606 in the AR content 1602 is based on the position ofthe model 1500 of the merchant's hand in the virtual coordinate system700 relative to the position of the customer. The virtual representation1606 is a render of the model 1500 depicting a virtual hand pointingtowards the knob of the mixer. In some implementations, the AR content1602 is generated in step 1108 of the method 1100.

It should be noted that the first example interaction and the secondexample interaction between the merchant and the virtual content 1202could also be presented in further virtual content generated for themerchant.

Modifying a Shared AR Experience

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for modifyinga shared AR experience. These methods may include modifying one or moreuser viewpoints or perspectives in the shared AR experience. In general,each user in a shared AR experience can have a different viewpointwithin the shared AR experience that is based, in part, on the user'sposition within the virtual coordinate system of the shared ARexperience. The user's viewpoint is reflected in the virtual contentthat is generated for the user. For example, a depiction of a virtualitem will be based on the user's perspective of the virtual item in theshared AR experience. The modifications to shared AR experiencesdisclosed herein can alter one or more user viewpoints in a shared ARexperience to potentially improve cooperation and collaboration betweendifferent users.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, one user's position ina virtual coordinate system of a shared AR experience may be modified tomatch another user's position. The two users can then have a shared orcommon viewpoint within the AR experience. Advantageously, enabling userviewpoints to be shared may improve communication and collaborationwithin the AR experience. If two user viewpoints at least temporarilyoverlap, then the two users can have substantially identical frames ofreference within the AR experience. These substantially identical framesof reference can provide meaningful context for communication betweenthe two users. For example, referring to the shared AR experience ofFIG. 4 , the first user could request to view the mixer from theperspective of the second user in order to have a substantiallyidentical view of the mixer as the second user.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 1700 for modifying auser's viewpoint in a shared AR experience, according to an embodiment.The method 1700 will be described as being performed by the AR engine502 of FIG. 5 , with the shared AR experience including at least thefirst user of the user device 530 a and the second user of the userdevice 530 b. However, at least a portion of the method 1700 couldinstead be performed elsewhere, such as at the user device 530 a and/orthe user device 530 b, for example.

Step 1702 includes the processor 504 generating first AR content for thefirst user. The first AR content includes a first render of a modelanchored or defined within a virtual coordinate system of the shared ARexperience. This model may be a 3D model of an item, for example.Optionally, the first AR content can also include a virtualrepresentation of the second user, virtual representations of one ormore virtual user interactions, audio content and/or haptic content. Atstep 1704, the processor 504 outputs the first AR content forpresentation at the user device 530 a.

In some implementations, steps 1702, 1704 could be similar to any, someor all of steps 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614 of the method 600and/or steps 1106, 1108, 1110 of the method 1100.

The first render of the model in the AR content generated in step 1702is based on an initial position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system of the shared AR experience. The position of the firstuser in the virtual coordinate system can include a coordinate and anorientation of the first user. As such, the first render is from theviewpoint of the first user at their initial position in the virtualcoordinate system.

In some cases, step 1702 includes determining the initial position ofthe first user within the virtual coordinate system based on firstinformation obtained by the user device 530 a. For example, the firstinformation received from the user device 530 a can include arepresentation of a real-world space surrounding the first user.Determining the initial position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system may then include obtaining a position of the modelwithin the space, mapping the virtual coordinate system to the spacebased on the position of the model within the space, and determining aposition of the first user within the space. The initial position of thefirst user within the virtual coordinate system can be determined basedon the position of the first user within the space. Further details andexamples of determining the position of a user in a virtual coordinatesystem are provided above with reference to step 606 of the method 600.

Virtual content can also be generated for the second user in the sharedAR experience, which may include a render of the model that is based onthe position of the second user in the virtual coordinate system. Theposition of the second user in the virtual coordinate system can includea coordinate and an orientation of the second user. The first user isinitially at a different position than the second user within thevirtual coordinate system. As such, the first user and the second usermay be viewing the model from different perspectives. However, viewingthe model from different perspectives can hinder communication in somesituations. For example, the second user may be referencing a particularcomponent of the model that is not in view for the first user.Accordingly, the first user may generate a request to view the modelfrom the position and viewpoint of the second user within the virtualcoordinate system. Alternatively, the second user may generate therequest for the first user to view the model from their position.

Step 1706 includes the processor 504 obtaining an instruction toreposition the first user to the position of the second user within thevirtual coordinate system. The instruction may then be stored in thememory 506 or in another non-transitory computer readable medium. Anexample of the instruction obtained in step 1706 is a request for thefirst user to view the model from the viewpoint of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system. As noted above, the instructionmay be received from the first user via the user device 530 a and/orfrom the second user via the user device 530 b.

Any of a number of different operations may be performed by the firstuser or the second user to generate the instruction to a user devicethat serves to trigger a repositioning of the first user to the positionof the second user within the virtual coordinate system. In an example,the AR content generated for the first user in step 1702 includes arepresentation of the second user in a different position within thevirtual coordinate system. Through the user device 530 a, the first usermay select the representation of the second user in the AR content. Theuser device 530 a may then display an option to virtually move to theposition of the second user within the virtual coordinate system.

Step 1708 includes the processor 504 generating second AR content forthe first user. The second AR content includes a second render of themodel based on the position of the second user within the virtualcoordinate system. In other words, the first user has moved to theposition of the second user in the virtual coordinate system and thefirst user is viewing the model (and potentially other virtual objectsin the AR experience) from the perspective of the second user. Step 1710includes outputting the second AR content for presentation at the userdevice 530 a.

In some implementations, step 1708 includes determining, based on secondinformation obtained by the user device 530 b, the position of thesecond user within the virtual coordinate system. The position of thefirst user within the virtual coordinate system can then be modified tomatch that of the second user. Following these operations, the positionof the first user within the virtual coordinate system can match theposition of the second user within the virtual coordinate system, andtherefore at least some of the AR content that is generated for thefirst user in step 1708 may be substantially identical to virtualcontent generated for the second user. For example, the first user andthe second user may both be viewing the second render of the model. Thisallows the first user and the second user to have a shared perspectiveof the model in the AR experience.

When the initial position of the first user in the virtual coordinatesystem is determined based on a position of the first user in areal-world space and a mapping of the virtual coordinate system to thereal-world space, step 1708 can include remapping the virtual coordinatesystem to the real-world space. Remapping the virtual coordinate systemcan include moving the virtual coordinate system relative to thereal-world space of the first user such that the position of the firstuser within the real-world space corresponds to the position of thesecond user within the virtual coordinate system. The virtual coordinatesystem is moved relative to the first user while the first user remainsstationary in the real-world space, and therefore the first user movesin the virtual coordinate system without actively moving in thereal-world space. The model remains fixed in the virtual coordinatesystem, and therefore moving the virtual coordinate system relative tothe real-world space will also move the model relative to the real-worldspace.

Remapping the virtual coordinate system within the real-world space ofthe first user in step 1708 might not affect a mapping of the virtualcoordinate system to a space (real-world or virtual) of the second user.As such, the model can remain fixed relative to the space of the seconduser. The remapping of the virtual coordinate system to the real-worldspace of the first user may appear as the first user moving within thevirtual coordinate system from the perspective of the second user. Assuch, the position of the second user within the virtual coordinatesystem can remain fixed despite the modification to the position of thefirst user within the virtual coordinate system.

In some implementations, the instruction obtained in step 1706 caninclude an instruction to lock the position of the first user within thevirtual coordinate system to the position of the second user within thevirtual coordinate system. As a result, movement of the first user andthe second user within the virtual coordinate system is at leasttemporarily synchronized after initially matching the position of thefirst user to the position of the second user in step 1708. In theseimplementations, the method 1700 can proceed to optional steps 1712,1714, 1716, 1718.

In step 1712, the processor 504 determines, based on third informationobtained by the second device, that the second user is at a new positionwithin the virtual coordinate system. In other words, the second userhas moved in the virtual coordinate system. This may include the seconduser physically moving within a real-world space that the virtualcoordinate system has been mapped to, for example.

The processor 504 generates third AR content for the first user in step1714, and the processor 504 outputs the third AR content forpresentation at the user device 530 a in step 1716. Because the positionof the first user is locked to the position of the second user, thefirst user is moved to the new position of the second user in step 1714.The third AR content includes a third render of the model based on thenew position of the second user within the virtual coordinate system.Thus, the third AR content for the first user can include the samerender of the model that is included in the virtual content for thesecond user when the second user is at the new position within thevirtual coordinate system.

As illustrated by the arrow between step 1716 and step 1712, steps 1712,1714, 1716 can be performed multiple times. This can help ensure thatthe position of the first user remains locked or fixed to the positionof the second user over time. When the position of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system changes, the position of the firstuser in the virtual coordinate system may be modified accordingly. Ineffect, this gives the second user control over the perspective of thefirst user. As outlined above, modifying the position of the first userin the virtual coordinate system can include remapping the virtualcoordinate system to the real-world space surrounding the first user.Thus, the first user does not have to physically move to stay in thesame position as the second user within the virtual coordinate system.

In step 1718, the processor 504 obtains a further instruction to unlockthe position of the first user from the position of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system. This instruction could be obtainedexplicitly or implicitly using the user device 530 a. An example of anexplicit request is the first user pressing a button displayed on theuser device 530 a to unlock their position. An example of an implicitindication is the first user moving away from the second user within thevirtual coordinate system, which can be interpreted as the first userwishing to move independently in the virtual coordinate system.

FIGS. 18 to 20 illustrate an example of user modifications in a sharedAR experience. FIGS. 18 to 20 relate to the same AR experience discussedabove with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 and 12 to 16 , which includes thecustomer and the merchant interacting with the model 702 of the stand-upkitchen mixer in the virtual coordinate system 700. The shared ARexperience of FIGS. 18 to 20 could be provided, at least in part, usingthe method 1700.

FIG. 18 illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 1802for the customer in the shared AR experience. The AR content 1802includes a render 1804 of the model 702 of the mixer and a virtualrepresentation 1806 of the merchant. In some implementations, the ARcontent 802 is generated in step 1702 of the method 1700.

The customer device 800 in FIG. 18 further displays an option 1808 toreposition the customer to the merchant's position in the virtualcoordinate system 700, and another option 1810 to lock to the merchant'sposition in the virtual coordinate system 700. The options 1808, 1810could be displayed after the customer selects the virtual representation1806 of the merchant in the AR content 1802 or the indication 810 thatthe merchant is present in the shared AR experience, for example.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the virtual coordinate system 700 ofthe shared AR experience after the customer has selected one of theoptions 1808, 1810 and has been repositioned to the position of themerchant in the virtual coordinate system 700. FIG. 19 depicts a 3Dvirtual model 1900 that serves to represent both the customer and themerchant as the customer and model are overlapping at the same positionwithin the virtual coordinate system 700 in the illustrated example.

FIG. 20 illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 2002for the customer in the shared AR experience after the customer selectsthe option 1810 to lock to the position of the merchant in the virtualcoordinate system 700. The AR content 2002 includes a render 2004 of themodel 702, which is generated based on the shared position of thecustomer and the merchant in the virtual coordinate system 700. Virtualcontent can also be generated for the merchant that includes the samerender 2004 of the model 702. In some implementations, the AR content2002 is generated in step 1708 of the method 1700.

In FIG. 20 , the customer device 800 further displays an indication 2006that the position of the customer is locked to the position of themerchant. Locking to the merchant's position generally includesmaintaining the customer at the merchant's position in the virtualcoordinate system 700 over time after initially repositioning thecustomer to the merchant's position. The indication 2006 may furtherfunction as a button to unlock the customer from the position of themerchant. For example, the customer may select the indication 2006 tomove independently within the virtual coordinate system once again.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, one user in ashared AR experience can modify AR content for multiple userssimultaneously. By way of example, a model defined in the virtualcoordinate system of a shared AR experience may be modified based on arequest from a single user. Each user's view of the model in the sharedAR experience can then be altered as a result. A single user cantherefore control at least part of the AR content that is generated forthe multiple users in the shared AR experience. Advantageously, enablingmodifications to models to be shared, linked or otherwise interrelatedmay improve communication and collaboration within the AR experience.For example, referring to the shared AR experience of FIG. 4 , the firstuser could modify the orientation of the model of the mixer in thevirtual coordinate system to demonstrate a certain perspective of themixer to the second user.

FIG. 21 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 2100 of modifying ashared AR experience, according to an embodiment. The method 2100 willbe described as being performed by the AR engine 502 of FIG. 5 , withthe shared AR experience including at least the first user of the userdevice 530 a and the second user of the user device 530 b. However, atleast a portion of the method 2100 could instead be performed elsewhere,such as at the user device 530 a and/or the user device 530 b, forexample.

Step 2102 includes the processor 504 generating first AR content for thefirst user. The first AR content includes a first render of a modelanchored or defined within a virtual coordinate system of the shared ARexperience. This model may be a 3D model of an item, for example. Insome implementations, the first render of the model is based on theposition of the first user in the virtual coordinate system and is fromthe viewpoint of the first user. Optionally, the first AR content canalso include a virtual representation of the second user, virtualrepresentations of one or more virtual user interactions, audio contentand/or haptic content.

Step 2104 includes the processor 504 outputting the first AR content forpresentation at the user device 530 a. In some implementations, steps2102, 2104 could be similar to any, some or all of steps 602, 604, 606,608, 610, 612, 614 of the method 600 and/or steps 1106, 1108, 1110 ofthe method 1100.

Virtual content, such as AR content or VR content, can also be generatedfor the second user and presented at the user device 530 b. The virtualcontent for the second user can include a second render of the modelbased on the position and viewpoint of the second user in the virtualcoordinate system.

Step 2106 includes the processor 504 modifying the model to produce amodified model defined within the virtual coordinate system. Step 2106may be performed based on an instruction obtained from the second userby the user device 530 b. The instruction may be transmitted to the ARengine 502 and stored in the memory 506 or in another non-transitorycomputer readable medium.

Modifying the model in step 2106 can include repositioning the modelwithin the virtual coordinate system of the AR experience. Non-limitingexamples of repositioning the model within the virtual coordinate systeminclude moving, reorienting, flipping, twisting and/or rotating themodel. In some implementations, repositioning the model within thevirtual coordinate system can include unanchoring the model from thevirtual coordinate system while the virtual coordinate system remainsfixed relative to the first user and to the second user. As a result,the model is repositioned for both the first user and the second usersimultaneously based on the instruction obtained by the user device 530b.

Modifying the model in step 2106 can also or instead includemanipulating or animating the model by repositioning one component ofthe model relative to another component of the model in the virtualcoordinate system. For example, the model might include severaldifferent 3D components. The instruction obtained by the user device 530b may include a request to reposition one or some of these componentswithin the virtual coordinate system. These components of the model maythen be unanchored in the virtual coordinate system and repositioned,while the other components of the model remain fixed. This form ofmodification may simulate some functionality of the model. For example,an item represented by the model may be capable of performing mechanicalfunctions in which one part of the item moves relative to another.

Modifying the model in step 2106 may, additionally or alternatively,include replacing the model with another model. For example, theoriginal model could have been of a particular product sold by amerchant. The second user could use the user device 530 b to generate aninstruction to replace the original model with a model of the sameproduct in a different color or style, or a model of a differentproduct. In one example, the second user may be shopping for acenterpiece on a table using the shared AR experience provided by themethod 2100. The second user might originally be viewing a model of avase, and then generate an instruction to replace the model of the vasewith a model of a sculpture.

Step 2108 includes generating second AR content for the first user,where the second AR content includes a render of the modified modelobtained in step 2106. The second AR content is then output forpresentation at the user device 530 a in step 2110. Steps 2108, 2110 maybe substantially similar to steps 2102, 2104, but occur after the modelhas been modified. Virtual content can also be generated for the seconduser and can include a render of the modified model.

FIGS. 22 to 29 illustrate examples of modifications to a shared ARexperience, which is the same AR experience discussed above withreference to FIGS. 7 to 10, 12 to 16 and 18 to 20 . The shared ARexperience includes the customer and the merchant interacting with themodel 702 of the stand-up kitchen mixer in the virtual coordinate system700. The shared AR experience of FIGS. 22 to 29 could be provided, atleast in part, using the method 2100.

FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate the shared AR experience at a particularinstance in time. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the virtualcoordinate system 700 of the shared AR experience, and FIG. 23illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 2302 for theshared AR experience. The AR content 2302 includes a render 2304 of themodel of the mixer and a virtual representation 2306 of the merchant.Optionally, the AR content 2302 can further include audio content and/orhaptic content. In some implementations, the AR content 2302 isgenerated in step 2102 of the method 2100.

The customer device 800 in FIG. 23 further displays an option 2308 toreposition the model 702 in the virtual coordinate system 700, an option2310 to manipulate the model 702 in the virtual coordinate system 700,and an option 2312 to replace the model 702 with another model. Theoptions 2308, 2310, 2312 could be presented to the customer if thecustomer selects the option 816, for example.

FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate a first example of modifying the shared ARexperience for the customer and the merchant. FIG. 24 is a perspectiveview of the virtual coordinate system 700 for the shared AR experienceafter the model 702 of the mixer has been repositioned, and FIG. 25illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 2502 for theshared AR experience after the model 702 of the mixer has beenrepositioned. The AR content includes a render 2504 of the repositionedmodel 702 of the mixer and a virtual representation 2506 of themerchant. In some implementations, the AR content 2502 is generated instep 2108 of the method 2100.

As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 , the model 702 of the mixer has beenrepositioned (compared to the original position of the model 702 inFIGS. 22 and 23 ) by being flipped vertically (i.e., inverted) in thevirtual coordinate system 700. As such, the customer can now see thebottom of the mixer in the render 2504. Flipping the model 702 of themixer could have been performed based on an instruction received fromthe customer or from the merchant. For example, the merchant may havewanted to discuss the bottom of the mixer with the customer. Rather thaninstructing the customer to somehow modify their position within thevirtual coordinate system 700 of the shared AR experience to view thebottom of the model 702 of the mixer (which might not even be possible),the merchant instead generated an instruction to modify the model 702 byrepositioning the model 702 within the virtual coordinate system 700.This repositioning of the model 702 is reflected in the virtual contentgenerated for the merchant and the AR content 2502 generated for thecustomer.

FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate a second example of modifying the shared ARexperience for the customer and the merchant. FIG. 26 is a perspectiveview of the virtual coordinate system 700 for the shared AR experienceafter the model 702 of the mixer has been manipulated, and FIG. 27illustrates the customer device 800 displaying AR content 2702 for theshared AR experience after the model 702 of the mixer has beenmanipulated. The AR content 2702 includes a render 2704 of themanipulated model 702 of the mixer and a virtual representation 2706 ofthe merchant. In some implementations, the AR content 2702 is generatedin step 2108 of the method 2100.

As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 , the model 702 of the mixer has beenmanipulated by rotating the top of the mixer relative to the base of themixer. This may simulate a real-life functionality of the mixer thatallows the bowl of the mixer to be removed, which the customer can nowsee in the AR content 2702. From the perspective of the customer and themerchant in the shared AR experience, manipulating the model 702 mayappear to be an animation of the top of the mixer moving relative to thebottom of the mixer. In some implementations, the model 702 may be acombination of multiple different models or components, and rotating thetop of the mixer relative to the base of the mixer may be achieved byrepositioning one or some components of the model 702 relative to theremainder of the components. For example, the top of the mixer(including the motor and the beater) could be represented by a first 3Dcomponent and the base of the mixer could be represented by a second 3Dcomponent. When coupled together, the first 3D component and the second3D component provide the complete model 702 of the mixer. In thisexample, the first 3D component may be rotated relative to the second 3Dcomponent to simulate rotating the top of the mixer relative to thebottom of the mixer.

Manipulating the mixer could have been performed based on an instructionreceived from the customer or the merchant. For example, the merchantmay have wanted to demonstrate the functionality of the mixer to thecustomer.

FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate a third example of modifying the shared ARexperience for the customer and the merchant. FIG. 28 is a perspectiveview of the virtual coordinate system 700 for the shared AR experienceafter the model 702 of the mixer has been replaced with a model 2802 ofa blender, and FIG. 29 illustrates the customer device 800 displaying ARcontent 2902 for the shared AR experience after the model 702 of themixer has been replaced with the model 2802 of the blender. The ARcontent includes a render 2904 of the model 2802 of the blender and avirtual representation 2906 of the merchant. In some implementations,the AR content 2902 is generated in step 2108 of the method 2100.

Replacing the model 702 of the mixer with the model 2802 of the blendercould have been performed based on/responsive to an instruction receivedfrom the customer or the merchant. In an example, the customer may havewanted to discuss the mixer and the blender with the merchant. After thecustomer has finished asking questions about the mixer, the customer maygenerate a request for the model 702 of the mixer to be replaced withthe model 2802 of the blender. This request may be generated in responseto receiving customer input through a user interface of the customerdevice 800. The request may then be transmitted to an AR enginegenerating the AR content for the customer and/or the merchant.Responsive to the request, the AR engine may modify the shared ARexperience to replace the model 702 of the mixer with the model 2802 ofthe blender. In this example, both of the models 702, 2802 have the sameposition in the virtual coordinate system 700.

Conclusion

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific features and embodiments thereof, various modifications andcombinations can be made thereto without departing from the invention.The description and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded simply asan illustration of some embodiments of the invention as defined by theappended claims, and are contemplated to cover any and allmodifications, variations, combinations or equivalents that fall withinthe scope of the present invention. Therefore, although the presentinvention and its advantages have been described in detail, variouschanges, substitutions and alterations can be made herein withoutdeparting from the invention as defined by the appended claims.Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantiallythe same function or achieve substantially the same result as thecorresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according tothe present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended toinclude within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Moreover, any module, component, or device exemplified herein thatexecutes instructions may include or otherwise have access to anon-transitory computer/processor readable storage medium or media forstorage of information, such as computer/processor readableinstructions, data structures, program modules, and/or other data. Anon-exhaustive list of examples of non-transitory computer/processorreadable storage media includes magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape,magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, optical diskssuch as compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video discs ordigital versatile disc (DVDs), Blu-ray Disc™, or other optical storage,volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implementedin any method or technology, random-access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology. Any suchnon-transitory computer/processor storage media may be part of a deviceor accessible or connectable thereto. Any application or module hereindescribed may be implemented using computer/processorreadable/executable instructions that may be stored or otherwise held bysuch non-transitory computer/processor readable storage media.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method comprising:obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) model of an item for sale online by asecond user that is remote from a first user, the 3D model definedwithin a virtual coordinate system; determining, based on firstinformation obtained by a first device, a position of the first userwithin the virtual coordinate system; determining, based on secondinformation obtained by a second device, a position of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system; obtaining, from the second device,audio of the second user; generating augmented reality (AR) content, theAR content comprising: a render of the 3D model based on the position ofthe first user within the virtual coordinate system, a virtualrepresentation of the second user based on the position of the seconduser relative to the position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system, and audio content based on the audio of the seconduser, the audio content comprising a directionality corresponding to theposition of the second user relative to the position of the first userwithin the virtual coordinate system; and outputting the AR content forpresentation at the first device, wherein the first device is to presentthe render of the 3D model and the virtual representation of the seconduser overlaid onto a view of a real-world space associated with thefirst user.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:determining the position of the second user within the virtualcoordinate system comprises determining an orientation of the seconduser within the virtual coordinate system; and the virtualrepresentation of the second user comprises an indication of theorientation of the second user.
 3. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein: the first information comprises a representation ofthe real-world space; and determining the position of the first userwithin the virtual coordinate system comprises: obtaining a position ofthe 3D model within the real-world space, mapping the virtual coordinatesystem to the real-world space based on the position of the 3D modelwithin the real-world space, and determining a position of the firstuser within the real-world space, wherein the position of the first userwithin the virtual coordinate system is based on the position of thefirst user within the real-world space.
 4. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 3, wherein determining the position of the first userwithin the real-world space comprises determining, based on therepresentation of the real-world space, a distance from a surface in thereal-world space to the first user.
 5. The computer-implemented methodof claim 4, wherein determining the position of the first user withinthe real-world space comprises determining a position of the firstdevice within the real-world space.
 6. The computer-implemented methodof claim 3, wherein the AR content further comprises at least a portionof the representation of the real-world space.
 7. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein: the representation ofthe real-world space comprises an image of the real-world space capturedby the first device; and determining the position of the first userwithin the real-world space is based on image analysis of the image. 8.The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein: the real-worldspace is a first space; the second information comprises arepresentation of a second space, the second space being different fromthe first space; and obtaining the position of the second user withinthe virtual coordinate system comprises: obtaining a position of the 3Dmodel within the second space, mapping the virtual coordinate system tothe second space based on the position of the 3D model within the secondspace, and determining a position of the second user within the secondspace, wherein the position of the second user within the virtualcoordinate system is based on position of the second user within thesecond space.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein theAR content is first AR content and the render is a first render, themethod further comprising: generating second AR content, the second ARcontent comprising: a second render of the 3D model based on theposition of the second user within the virtual coordinate system, and arepresentation of the first user based on the position of the first userrelative to the position of the second user within the virtualcoordinate system; and outputting the second AR content for presentationat the second device.
 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,further comprising: obtaining, from the second device, an image of thesecond user, wherein the virtual representation of the second usercomprises at least a portion of the image of the second user.
 11. Asystem comprising: memory to store a three-dimensional (3D) model of anitem for sale online by a second user that is remote from a first user,the 3D model being defined within a virtual coordinate system; and atleast one processor configured to: determine, based on first informationobtained by a first device, a position of the first user within thevirtual coordinate system; determine, based on second informationobtained by a second device, a position of the second user within thevirtual coordinate system; obtain, from the second device, audio of thesecond user; generate augmented reality (AR) content, the AR contentcomprising: a render of the 3D model based on the position of the firstuser within the virtual coordinate system, a virtual representation ofthe second user based on the position of the second user relative to theposition of the first user within the virtual coordinate system, andaudio content based on the audio of the second user, the audio contentcomprising a directionality corresponding to the position of the seconduser relative to the position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system; and output the AR content for presentation at thefirst device, wherein the first device is to present the render of the3D model and the virtual representation of the second user overlaid ontoa view of a real-world space associated with the first user.
 12. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein: the position of the second user within thevirtual coordinate system comprises an orientation of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system; and the virtual representation ofthe second user comprises an indication of the orientation of the seconduser.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein: the first informationcomprises a representation of a real-world space; and the at least oneprocessor is further configured to: obtain a position of the 3D modelwithin the real-world space, map the virtual coordinate system to thereal-world space based on the position of the 3D model within thereal-world space, and determine a position of the first user within thereal-world space, wherein the position of the first user within thevirtual coordinate system is based on the position of the first userwithin the real-world space.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein theposition of the first user within the real-world space is based ondistance from a surface in the real-world space to the first user. 15.The system of claim 14, wherein the position of the first user withinthe real-world space comprises a position of the first device within thereal-world space.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the AR contentfurther comprises at least a portion of the representation of thereal-world space.
 17. The system of claim 13, wherein: therepresentation of the real-world space comprises an image of thereal-world space captured by the first device; and the position of thefirst user within the real-world space is based on image analysis of theimage.
 18. The system of claim 13, wherein: the real-world space is afirst space; the second information comprises a representation of asecond space, the second space being different from the first space; andat the at least one processor is further configured to: obtain aposition of the 3D model within the second space, map the virtualcoordinate system to the second space based on the position of the 3Dmodel within the second space, and determine a position of the seconduser within the second space, wherein the position of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system is based on position of the seconduser within the second space.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the ARcontent is first AR content, the render is a first render, and the atleast one processor is further configured to: generate second ARcontent, the second AR content comprising: a second render of the 3Dmodel based on the position of the second user within the virtualcoordinate system, and a representation of the first user based on theposition of the first user relative to the position of the second userwithin the virtual coordinate system; and output the second AR contentfor presentation at the second device.
 20. The system of claim 11,wherein the at least one processor is further configured to obtain, fromthe second device, an image of the second user, wherein the virtualrepresentation of the second user comprises at least a portion of theimage of the second user.
 21. A non-transitory computer readable mediumstoring computer executable instructions which, when executed by acomputer, cause the computer to: obtain a three-dimensional (3D) modelof an item for sale online by a second user that is remote from a firstuser, the 3D model defined within a virtual coordinate system;determine, based on first information obtained by a first device, aposition of the first user within the virtual coordinate system;determine, based on second information obtained by a second device, aposition of the second user within the virtual coordinate system;obtain, from the second device, audio of the second user; generateaugmented reality (AR) content, the AR content comprising: a render ofthe 3D model based on the position of the first user within the virtualcoordinate system, a virtual representation of the second user based onthe position of the second user relative to the position of the firstuser within the virtual coordinate system, and audio content based onthe audio of the second user, the audio content comprising adirectionality corresponding to the position of the second user relativeto the position of the first user within the virtual coordinate system;and output the AR content for presentation at the first device, whereinthe first device is to present the render of the 3D model and thevirtual representation of the second user overlaid onto a view of areal-world space associated with the first user.